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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bâillonner

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The English translation of the French verb bâillonner is “to gag,” or “to silence.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ba-yo-nay.”

The origin of the word bâillonner comes from the Old French word “bajonnette,” meaning “bayonet,” which was used to force someone to be silent by pointing it at their throat. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a past subjunctive tense used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples:

  1. Il faut que je te bâillonne pour que tu ne racontes pas nos secrets.

(Translation: I had to gag you so you wouldn’t tell our secrets.)

  1. Si nous n’avions pas bâillonné le témoin, il aurait tout révélé au tribunal.

(Translation: If we hadn’t gagged the witness, he would have revealed everything in court.)

  1. Je souhaitais que mes parents bâillonnent mes frères bruyants pendant la réunion de famille.

(Translation: I wished my parents would gag my noisy brothers during the family gathering.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bâillonnasse Si j’étais en colère, je bâillonnasse tout le monde. If I were angry, I would gag everyone.
tu bâillonnasses Si tu bâillonnasses ton frère, il ne pourrait pas parler. If you gagged your brother, he wouldn’t be able to talk.
il bâillonnât Il serait choqué si il bâillonnât son patron. He would be shocked if he gagged his boss.
elle bâillonnât Elle serait en colère si elle bâillonnât sa sœur. She would be angry if she gagged her sister.
on bâillonnât Si on bâillonnât tout le monde, il n’y aurait pas de bruit. If one gagged everyone, there would be no noise.
nous bâillonnassions Si nous bâillonnassions le chien, il n’aboyait plus. If we gagged the dog, it would stop barking.
vous bâillonnassiez Si vous bâillonnassiez vos enfants, ils seraient trop calmes. If you gagged your children, they would be too quiet.
ils bâillonnassent S’ils bâillonnassent leurs ennemis, ils ne pourraient plus parler. If they gagged their enemies, they wouldn’t be able to talk.
elles bâillonnassent Si elles bâillonnassent leurs amis, ça ne serait pas très gentil. If they gagged their friends, it wouldn’t be very nice.

Other Conjugations for Bâillonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bâillonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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