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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb barbouiller

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The English translation of the French verb barbouiller is “to smear” or “to smudge.” It is pronounced as “bar-boo-ee-yay” in its infinitive form.

The word origin of barbouiller can be traced back to the Old French word “barber,” meaning “to polish” or “to clean,” and the suffix “-ouiller,” which adds a sense of repetition or intensity. In everyday French, barbouiller is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three examples of barbouiller in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je barbouillasse mon visage avant le spectacle. (I had to smear my face before the show.)

  2. Je préférais que tu ne barbouillasses pas les murs avec tes crayons. (I preferred it if you didn’t smudge the walls with your crayons.)

  3. Elle aurait aimé qu’il barbouillât ses dessins avec plus de couleurs vives. (She would have liked it if he had smeared his drawings with more bright colors.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je barbouillasse Si je ne m’étais pas lavé les mains, je barbouillasse tout. If I hadn’t washed my hands, I would have smeared everything.
tu barbouillasses Si tu ne mettais pas de tablier, tu barbouillasses tes vêtements. If you don’t wear an apron, you’ll get your clothes dirty.
il barbouillât Si il avait mangé plus lentement, il barbouillât moins. If he had eaten more slowly, he wouldn’t have felt sick.
elle barbouillât Si elle ne se brossait pas les dents, elle barbouillât le matin. If she didn’t brush her teeth, she would feel sick in the morning.
on barbouillât Si on mangeait trop de sucreries, on barbouillât après. If one eats too many sweets, one feels sick afterwards.
nous barbouillassions Si nous n’avions pas mangé ces fruits avariés, nous barbouillassions pas autant. If we hadn’t eaten those rotten fruits, we wouldn’t have felt so sick.
vous barbouillassiez Si vous buviez moins d’alcool, vous barbouillassiez moins. If you drank less alcohol, you wouldn’t feel so sick.
ils barbouillassent S’ils n’avaient pas mangé tout le gâteau, ils barbouillassent moins. If they hadn’t eaten the whole cake, they wouldn’t have felt so sick.
elles barbouillassent Si elles ne faisaient pas la fête toute la nuit, elles barbouillassent plus. If they didn’t party all night, they would feel sicker.

Other Conjugations for Barbouiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb barbouiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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