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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb baratter

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The English translation of the French verb baratter is “to cheat” or “to swindle.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “bah-rah-tay.”

The word baratter comes from the Latin word “baratrum,” meaning “fraud.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is also used to express doubt, emotion, or subjectivity in a past action.

Here are 3 simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. J’espérais que tu ne me barattais pas. (I hoped that you were not cheating me.)
  2. Nous doutions qu’il ne barattât pas ses clients. (We doubted that he was not swindling his clients.)
  3. Il était possible que nous ne barattions pas le système. (It was possible that we were not cheating the system.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je barattasse J’aurais peur si je barattasse trop vite. I would be afraid if I churned too fast.
tu barattasses Si tu travaillais plus, tu barattasses plus de beurre. If you worked more, you would churn more butter.
il barattât Il serait en forme si il barattât tous les jours. He would be in shape if he churned every day.
elle barattât Elle se sentirait mieux si elle barattât plus longtemps. She would feel better if she churned longer.
on barattât Si on barattât ensemble, ça irait plus vite. If one churned together, it would go faster.
nous barattassions Si nous barattassions tous ensemble, ça serait amusant. If we all churned together, it would be fun.
vous barattassiez Si vous barattassiez plus lentement, vous n’auriez pas mal aux bras. If you churned more slowly, your arms wouldn’t hurt.
ils barattassent S’ils barattassent plus fort, ils auraient plus de beurre. If they churned harder, they would have more butter.
elles barattassent Si elles barattassent souvent, elles auraient plus de crème. If they churned frequently, they would have more cream.

Other Conjugations for Baratter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb baratter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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