Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arc-bouter

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The English translation of the French verb arc-bouter is “to brace” or “to prop up”. It is pronounced “ahrk-boo-tay” in its infinitive form.

The language origin of arc-bouter comes from the Old French word “arcboter” meaning “to arch”, which is derived from the Latin words “arcus” (arch) and “butor” (to thrust). It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express doubt, possibility, or hypothetical situations in the past.

Examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’étais content que tu arc-boutes la porte pour qu’elle ne se ferme pas. (I was glad that you braced the door so it wouldn’t close.)

  2. Il fallait que nous arc-boutions les étagères pour qu’elles ne s’effondrent pas. (We had to prop up the shelves so they wouldn’t collapse.)

  3. Je ne croyais pas qu’ils arc-boutaient le mur pour qu’il ne s’écroule pas. (I didn’t believe that they were bracing the wall so it wouldn’t collapse.)

Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of arc-bouter

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je arc-boutasse Si je pouvais, j’arc-boutasse contre la tempête. If I could, I would brace against the storm.
tu arc-boutasses Si tu y mettais plus de force, tu arc-boutasses mieux. If you put more effort into it, you would brace better.
il arc-boutât Il serait plus efficace s’il arc-boutât avec les autres. He would be more effective if he braced with others.
elle arc-boutât Elle aurait besoin qu’elle arc-boutât contre la douleur. She would need to brace against the pain.
on arc-boutât Si on arc-boutât plus tôt, on éviterait les blessures. If one braced earlier, one would avoid injuries.
nous arc-boutassions Si nous arc-boutassions ensemble, nous serions plus forts. If we braced together, we would be stronger.
vous arc-boutassiez Si vous arc-boutassiez plus souvent, vous auriez moins de problèmes. If you braced more often, you would have fewer problems.
ils arc-boutassent S’ils arc-boutassent plus longtemps, ils réussiraient. If they braced for longer, they would succeed.
elles arc-boutassent Si elles arc-boutassaient toutes en même temps, ça serait impressionnant. If they all braced at the same time, it would be impressive.

Other Conjugations for Arc-Bouter.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter (this article)

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

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Arc-Bouter – About the French Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Imparfait, also known as the imperfect subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions, states, or conditions that are uncertain, subjective, or hypothetical in the past. It is used in a variety of situations, including wishes, doubts, emotions, and polite requests, and often occurs in dependent clauses following certain expressions and conjunctions.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Imparfait, you typically start with the third person plural (ils/elles) form of the verb in the imparfait (imperfect) tense. Then, you remove the -ent ending and add the appropriate endings:

– For regular -er verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.
– For regular -ir and -re verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

1. Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty: The Subjonctif Imparfait is used to express doubt or uncertainty about something that happened in the past.

Example: Il doutait qu’elle vînt à la fête. (He doubted that she came to the party.)

2. Wishes and Desires: It is used to express wishes or desires in the past.

Example: J’aurais aimé que tu fusses là. (I would have liked you to be there.)

3. Hypothetical Scenarios: The Subjonctif Imparfait is employed in hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: Si j’eusse su, j’aurais agi différemment. (If I had known, I would have acted differently.)
4. Polite Requests and Suggestions: It is used to make polite requests and suggestions in a formal or polite tone.

Example: Il souhaitait que vous vinssiez lui rendre visite. (He wished that you would come to visit him.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Subjonctif Présent

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used in dependent clauses with the Subjonctif Présent in the main clause, especially in complex sentences.

Example: Il faut que tu manges bien pour que tu aies de l’énergie. (You need to eat well so that you have energy.)

Indicatif Passé Composé

The Subjonctif Imparfait can be used alongside the Indicatif Passé Composé to indicate a contrast between a factual event and a hypothetical one.

Example: Il est parti avant que tu ne fusses arrivé. (He left before you arrived.)

Conditional

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used with the Conditional to express unreal or hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: J’aurais pu le faire si j’eusse eu plus de temps. (I could have done it if I had had more time.)

Conditional Perfect

It can also be used with the Conditional Perfect to express unreal or hypothetical past events that would have occurred before other past events.

Example: J’aurais su s’il eût partagé l’information. (I would have known if he had shared the information.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Imparfait is a relatively complex tense, and its usage depends on the context and the verbs involved. It is essential to practice and become familiar with common expressions and contexts where this tense is appropriate to use it effectively in everyday French communication.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb arc-bouter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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