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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb baigner

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The English translation of the French verb baigner is “to bathe” or “to swim.” The infinitive form, baigner, is pronounced as “behn-yay.”

Baigner comes from the Latin word “balneare,” meaning “to bathe.” It is most often used in every day French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three examples of baigner used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je baignasse dans la mer chaque été. (I had to swim in the sea every summer.)
  2. Je souhaitais que tu baignasses dans la rivière avec moi. (I wished for you to swim in the river with me.)
  3. Nous préférions que vous baignassiez dans la piscine. (We preferred for you to swim in the pool.)

In all of these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a desire or preference in the past, rather than a concrete action. The verb baigner is conjugated in the past tense form, with the subject pronoun preceding the verb. The English translations also use past tense forms, but they do not have the same level of uncertainty as the French sentences.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je baignasse Je préférerais que je baignasse dans la mer. I would prefer to bathe in the sea.
tu baignasses Tu aimerais si tu baignasses dans la piscine ? Would you like to bathe in the pool?
il baignât Il voudrait qu’il baignât dans le lac. He would like to bathe in the lake.
elle baignât Elle serait détendue si elle baignât dans l’eau chaude. She would be relaxed if she bathed in the warm water.
on baignât Si on baignât plus souvent, on aurait la peau plus douce. If one bathed more often, one would have softer skin.
nous baignassions Si nous baignassions ensemble, ça serait amusant. If we bathed together, it would be fun.
vous baignassiez Si vous baignassiez moins vite, vous apprécieriez plus. If you bathed more slowly, you would enjoy it more.
ils baignassent S’ils baignassent plus tôt, ils auraient plus de temps libre. If they bathed earlier, they would have more free time.
elles baignassent Si elles baignassent dans l’océan, elles verraient des poissons. If they bathed in the ocean, they would see fish.

Other Conjugations for Baigner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb baigner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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