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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb balancer

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The English translation of the French verb balancer is “to balance.” It is pronounced as “bah-lahn-say.”

The word balancer comes from the Old French word “balancier,” which means “scale” or “balance.” It ultimately comes from the Latin word “bilanx,” meaning “two scales.” In everyday French, balancer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in this tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je balançasse mes idées avant de prendre une décision. (I needed to balance my thoughts before making a decision.)

  2. Elle aurait préféré que tu ne balançasses pas cette information devant tout le monde. (She would have preferred if you didn’t blurt out this information in front of everyone.)

  3. Nous souhaitions que vous balançassiez vos ressources pour atteindre nos objectifs financiers. (We hoped that you would balance your resources to achieve our financial goals.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je balançasse S’il faisait beau, je balançasse sur la balançoire. If the weather was nice, I would swing on the swing.
tu balançasses Si tu avais peur, tu balançasses trop fort. If you were scared, you would swing too hard.
il balançât Il serait content si il balançât régulièrement. He would be happy if he swung regularly.
elle balançât Elle serait jalouse si elle balançât plus haut que les autres. She would be jealous if she swung higher than the others.
on balançât Si on balançât ensemble, on serait synchronisés. If we swung together, we would be synchronized.
nous balançassions Si nous balançassions sur la même corde, nous serions en sécurité. If we swung on the same rope, we would be safe.
vous balançassiez Si vous balançassiez plus lentement, vous auriez moins de vertige. If you swung more slowly, you would have less vertigo.
ils balançassent S’ils balançassent plus fort, ils tomberaient. If they swung harder, they would fall.
elles balançassent Si elles balançassent trop vite, elles seraient étourdies. If they swung too fast, they would be dizzy.

Other Conjugations for Balancer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb balancer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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