Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfater
Introduction to the verb calfater
The English translation of the French verb calfater is “to caulk.” It is pronounced as “kal-fah-tay” in its infinitive form.
The word “calfater” comes from the Latin word “calcāre,” meaning “to trample” or “to tread.” It entered the French language in the 12th century with the meaning “to repair a ship’s hull by filling in gaps with tar or other materials.”
In everyday French, the verb calfater is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a possibility, a hypothesis, or an uncertain situation in the past. It is formed by adding the appropriate endings to the imperfect stem of the verb.
Three simple examples of calfater in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:
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Il fallait que je calfate la coque du bateau pour qu’il ne prenne pas l’eau. (I had to caulk the boat’s hull so that it wouldn’t take on water.)
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Nous souhaitions que le charpentier calfât les fuites avant la tempête. (We wished for the carpenter to caulk the leaks before the storm.)
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Je doutais qu’ils calfatassent correctement le navire, mais nous n’avions pas le choix. (I doubted that they were caulking the ship properly, but we didn’t have a choice.)
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I had to caulk the boat’s hull so that it wouldn’t take on water.
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We wished for the carpenter to caulk the leaks before the storm.
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I doubted that they were caulking the ship properly, but we didn’t have a choice.
Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of calfater
Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Usage | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | calfatais | Si je calfatais les fuites, le bateau ne coulerait pas. | If I caulked the leaks, the boat wouldn’t sink. |
tu | calfatais | Tu pourrais aider si tu calfatais la coque. | You could help if you caulked the hull. |
il | calfatait | Il valait mieux qu’il calfatait avant la tempête. | It was better that he caulked before the storm. |
elle | calfatait | Elle craignait que je calfatais mal. | She was afraid that I was caulking wrong. |
on | calfatait | Si on calfatait régulièrement, le navire serait en meilleur état. | If one caulked regularly, the ship would be in better condition. |
nous | calfatassions | Si nous calfatassions ensemble, ça irait plus vite. | If we caulked together, it would go faster. |
vous | calfatiez | Si vous calfatiez toutes les fentes, l’eau ne rentrerait plus. | If you caulked all the cracks, the water wouldn’t come in anymore. |
ils | calfataient | Ils étaient contents qu’ils calfataient si bien. | They were happy that they were caulking so well. |
elles | calfataient | Les femmes pensaient qu’elles calfataient mieux que les hommes. | The women thought they were caulking better than the men. |
Other Conjugations for Calfater.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb calfater
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfater
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfater
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfater
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfater
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfater
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfater
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfater
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfater
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfater
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfater
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfater (this article)
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfater
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfater
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfater
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfater
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfater
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Calfater – 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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