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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb barboter

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The English translation of the French verb barboter is “to splash around” or “to paddle”. It is pronounced as “bar-boh-tay”.

The language origin of barboter comes from the combination of the verb “barboter”, which means “to chatter” or “to babble”, and the suffix “-oter”, which indicates repetitive or continuous action. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a past tense used to express uncertainty or hypothetical actions.

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

  1. Il fallait que je barbotasse dans la piscine cet été. (It was necessary that I splashed around in the pool this summer.)
  2. Nous souhaitions que les enfants barbottent dans la mer pendant leurs vacances. (We wished that the children would paddle in the sea during their vacation.)
  3. Il était possible que tu barbottes dans la rivière si tu avais le temps. (It was possible that you splashed around in the river if you had the time.)

In these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express uncertainty or possibility. The verb barboter indicates a continuous and playful action, such as splashing around in water. In everyday French, barboter in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is commonly used to talk about past actions that were uncertain or hypothetical.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je barbotasse Si j’étais un bébé, je barbotasse dans l’eau. If I were a baby, I would splash in the water.
tu barbotasses Si tu venais avec moi, tu barbotasses avec plaisir. If you came with me, you would splash with pleasure.
il barbotât Il serait heureux si il barbotât toute la journée. He would be happy if he splashed all day.
elle barbotât Elle serait détendue si elle barbotât dans la piscine. She would be relaxed if she splashed in the pool.
on barbotât Si on barbotât ensemble, ça serait amusant. If we splashed together, it would be fun.
nous barbotassions Si nous barbotassions plus, nous serions plus en forme. If we splashed more, we would be in better shape.
vous barbotassiez Si vous barbotassiez moins bruyamment, ça serait mieux. If you splashed less loudly, it would be better.
ils barbotassent S’ils barbotassent longtemps, ils attraperaient froid. If they splashed for a long time, they would catch a cold.
elles barbotassent Si elles barbotassent avec des jouets, ça serait rigolo. If they splashed with toys, it would be funny.

Other Conjugations for Barboter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb barboter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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