Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb badauder

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb badauder

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of badauder. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb badauder is “to loiter” or “to idle”. It is pronounced as “bah-doh-deh”.

The origin of badauder can be traced back to the Old French word “badaud” which meant “idler” or “loiterer”. It is derived from the verb “badal” which means “to gaze”.

In everyday French, badauder is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait (imperfect subjunctive) tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the conjunction “que” to introduce a dependent clause.

Three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je badaudasse dans les rues pour tuer le temps. (I had to loiter in the streets to kill time.)

  2. Nous ne voulions pas qu’ils badaudent dans les magasins sans rien acheter. (We didn’t want them to loiter in the shops without buying anything.)

  3. Il était préférable que tu ne badaudasses pas trop en classe. (It was better that you didn’t loiter too much in class.)

English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je badaudasse dans les rues pour tuer le temps. – I had to loiter in the streets to kill time.

  2. Nous ne voulions pas qu’ils badaudent dans les magasins sans rien acheter. – We didn’t want them to loiter in the shops without buying anything.

  3. Il était préférable que tu ne badaudasses pas trop en classe. – It was better that you didn’t loiter too much in class.

Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of badauder

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je badaudasse Si j’avais le temps, je badaudasse en ville. If I had the time, I would wander around town.
tu badaudasses Si tu étais plus curieux, tu badaudasses avec moi. If you were more curious, you would stroll around with me.
il badaudât Si il pouvait, il badaudât dans les rues animées. If he could, he would wander around the bustling streets.
elle badaudât Elle serait contente si elle badaudât avec ses amis. She would be happy if she strolled around with her friends.
on badaudât Si on badaudât plus souvent, on découvrirait des endroits intéressants. If one wandered around more often, one would discover interesting places.
nous badaudassions Si nous badaudassions ensemble, ça serait amusant. If we strolled around together, it would be fun.
vous badaudassiez Si vous badaudassiez moins, vous apprécieriez plus. If you wandered around less, you would appreciate more.
ils badaudassent S’ils badaudassent plus lentement, je les rejoindrais. If they strolled around more slowly, I would join them.
elles badaudassent Si elles badaudassent plus longtemps, elles verraient plus de choses. If they strolled around for a longer time, they would see more things.

Other Conjugations for Badauder.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb badauder
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb badauder
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb badauder
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb badauder
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb badauder
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb badauder
   

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

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb badauder

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb badauder

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb badauder

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb badauder
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb badauder (this article)

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

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb badauder
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb badauder

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb badauder

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb badauder

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the badauder Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

Badauder – 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 badauder. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply