Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biter
Introduction to the verb biter
The English translation of the French verb biter is “to bite.” It is pronounced as “bee-tay.”
Biter comes from the Old French word “bet,” which means “to bite” or “to sting.” It is derived from the Latin word “bitere,” meaning “to bite.” In modern French, biter is most often used in everyday speech to talk about the physical action of biting or stinging, but it can also be used figuratively to mean “to annoy” or “to irritate.”
In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, biter is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:
- Il fallait que je bittasse la pomme pour vérifier si elle était bonne. (I had to take a bite of the apple to check if it was good.)
- Si tu ne bittais pas tes ongles, ils seraient moins abîmés. (If you didn’t bite your nails, they wouldn’t be so damaged.)
- Nous aurions pu rester plus longtemps à la plage si les moustiques ne nous avaient pas bités. (We could have stayed longer at the beach if the mosquitoes hadn’t bitten us.)
In these sentences, biter is conjugated in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express an uncertain or hypothetical action in the past. The translations reflect this nuance, with “had to,” “if,” and “could have” indicating the possibility or uncertainty of the actions described.
Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of biter
Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Usage | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | bitasse | Si j’avais su, je bitasse beaucoup moins. | If I had known, I would have bitten much less. |
tu | bitasses | Si tu avais peur, tu bitasses trop. | If you were afraid, you would have bitten too much. |
il | bitât | Il serait calme s’il bitât moins. | He would be calm if he bit less. |
elle | bitât | Elle serait triste si elle bitât ses amis. | She would be sad if she bit her friends. |
on | bitât | Si on bitât plus doucement, on pourrait jouer. | If one bit more gently, one could play. |
nous | bitassions | Si nous bitassions moins, nous aurions moins de cicatrices. | If we bit less, we would have fewer scars. |
vous | bitassiez | Si vous bitassiez moins fort, vous ne feriez pas autant de bruit. | If you bit less hard, you wouldn’t make so much noise. |
ils | bitassent | S’ils bitassent comme ça, ils se feraient mal. | If they bit like that, they would hurt themselves. |
elles | bitassent | Si elles bitassent moins, elles auraient de meilleures dents. | If they bit less, they would have better teeth. |
Other Conjugations for Biter.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb biter
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biter
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biter
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biter
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biter
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biter
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biter
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biter
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biter
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biter
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biter
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biter (this article)
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biter
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biter
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biter
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biter
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biter
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Biter – About the French Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense
Formation
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Interactions with Other Tenses
Subjonctif Présent
Indicatif Passé Composé
Conditional
Conditional Perfect
Summary
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