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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb baleiner

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The English translation of the French verb baleiner is “to whale” or “to harpoon whales.” It is pronounced as “bah-lay-nay.”

Baleiner comes from the word “baleine,” which means “whale” in French. It also has Latin origins, coming from the word “balena” meaning “whale.”

In everyday French, baleiner is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

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

  1. Je ne croyais pas qu’il baleinât dans ces eaux. (I didn’t think he was whaling in these waters.)
  2. Nous aurions souhaité qu’ils ne baleinassent plus dans cette région. (We would have wished for them to stop whaling in this region.)
  3. Il voulait que je baleinasse avec lui, mais j’ai refusé. (He wanted me to go whaling with him, but I refused.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je baleinasse Je serais heureux si je baleinasse avec toi. I would be happy if I baleinasse with you.
tu baleinasses Si tu venais avec moi, tu baleinasses avec plaisir. If you came with me, you would baleinasses with pleasure.
il baleinât Il serait surpris si il baleinât en mer. He would be surprised if he baleinât in the sea.
elle baleinât Elle préfèrerait qu’elle baleinât dans un groupe. She would prefer to baleinât in a group.
on baleinât Si on baleinât en été, on verrait plus de baleines. If one baleinât in summer, one would see more whales.
nous baleinassions Si nous baleinassions ensemble, ça serait amusant. If we baleinassions together, it would be fun.
vous baleinassiez Si vous baleinassiez plus souvent, vous progresseriez. If you baleinassiez more often, you would make progress.
ils baleinassent S’ils baleinassent plus doucement, on ne les dérangerait pas. If they baleinassent more gently, they wouldn’t be disturbed.
elles baleinassent Si elles baleinassent moins fort, on pourrait entendre la mer. If they baleinassent less loudly, we could hear the sea.

Other Conjugations for Baleiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb baleiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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