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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb ballaster

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The English translation of the French verb ballaster is “to ballast.” It is pronounced “bah-las-tay” in the infinitive form.

The word ballaster comes from the Old French word “balester,” meaning “to throw.” It was originally used to describe the process of throwing objects onto a ship to maintain its balance. In everyday French, it is most commonly used in the context of construction and maintenance of ships and railways.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, ballaster is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

  1. Il fallait que nous ballastions le navire pour qu’il puisse continuer sa traversée en toute sécurité. (We had to ballast the ship so that it could continue its journey safely.)
  2. J’espérais que tu ballastasses la voie ferrée avant que le train n’arrive. (I was hoping you would ballast the railway track before the train arrived.)
  3. Il était important que les ouvriers ballastent les rails pour éviter tout accident. (It was important for the workers to ballast the rails to avoid any accidents.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je ballasse Je serais content si je ballasse le sol. I would be happy if I ballasted the ground.
tu ballasses Si tu ballasses le sol, il sera plus ferme. If you ballasted the ground, it will be firmer.
il ballât Si il ballât les pierres, ça serait plus stable. If he ballasted the stones, it would be more stable.
elle ballât Elle serait satisfaite si elle ballât le chemin. She would be satisfied if she ballasted the path.
on ballât Si on ballât les rails, le train serait plus sûr. If one ballasted the rails, the train would be safer.
nous ballassions Nous serions plus rapides si nous ballassions la terre. We would be faster if we ballasted the ground.
vous ballassiez Si vous ballassiez le sol, vous pourriez marcher plus facilement. If you ballasted the ground, you could walk more easily.
ils ballassent S’ils ballassent la route, elle serait plus résistante. If they ballasted the road, it would be more durable.
elles ballassent Si elles ballassent ensemble, elles pourraient terminer plus tôt. If they ballasted together, they could finish earlier.

Other Conjugations for Ballaster.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballaster
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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