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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb baisser

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The English translation of the French verb baisser is “to lower” or “to decrease.” The infinitive form of baisser is pronounced “beh-say.”

The word baisser comes from the Old French word “baissier,” meaning “to lower” or “to humiliate.” It can also be traced back to the Latin word “bassus,” meaning “low” or “short.”

In everyday French, baisser is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or state. It is often used in conjunction with the conjunction “que” to introduce a subordinate clause.

Example 1: Il fallait que je baisse les prix. (I had to lower the prices.)
Example 2: Elle souhaitait que la température baisse. (She wished for the temperature to decrease.)
Example 3: Il était important que nous baissons nos attentes. (It was important for us to lower our expectations.)

English translations:
Example 1: I had to lower the prices.
Example 2: She wished for the temperature to decrease.
Example 3: It was important for us to lower our expectations.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je baissasse Il fallait que je baissasse la tête devant cette injustice. I had to bow my head in front of this injustice.
tu baissasses Si tu baissasses tes exigences, tu serais plus heureux. If you lowered your expectations, you would be happier.
il baissât Il faudrait qu’il baissât les prix pour attirer plus de clients. He would have to lower prices to attract more customers.
elle baissât Elle préférait qu’elle baissât les lumières avant de dormir. She preferred to lower the lights before going to sleep.
on baissât Il serait mieux si on baissât la température de la pièce. It would be better if one lowered the room temperature.
nous baissassions Nous serions plus efficaces si nous baissassions nos coûts. We would be more efficient if we lowered our costs.
vous baissassiez Si vous baissassiez le son, je pourrais mieux me concentrer. If you lowered the volume, I could concentrate better.
ils baissassent Il serait plus prudent qu’ils baissassent leur vitesse. It would be safer if they lowered their speed.
elles baissassent Si elles baissassent les armes, la paix pourrait être possible. If they put down their weapons, peace could be possible.

Other Conjugations for Baisser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb baisser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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