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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb basculer

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The English translation of basculer is “to tip” or “to tilt.” It is pronounced as “bah-skyoo-lay.”

Basculer comes from the French word “bascule,” which means “seesaw” or “beam.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a past tense used to express uncertainty or a hypothetical situation.

Three simple examples of basculer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que tu basculasses pour attraper la balle. (You would have had to tilt to catch the ball.)

  2. J’aurais aimé que le vase ne basculât pas. (I wish the vase had not tipped.)

  3. Si tu basculais légèrement, tu pourrais voir le tableau. (If you were to tilt slightly, you could see the painting.)

  4. It was necessary for you to tip in order to catch the ball.

  5. I would have liked for the vase not to have tipped.

  6. If you were to tilt slightly, you could see the painting.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je basculasse Si je gagnais la loterie, je basculasse tous mes plans. If I won the lottery, I would change all my plans.
tu basculasses Si tu lisais plus, tu basculasses moins d’erreurs. If you read more, you would make less mistakes.
il basculât Il serait plus heureux si il basculât vers un autre emploi. He would be happier if he switched to another job.
elle basculât Elle serait plus détendue si elle basculât vers un mode de vie sain. She would be more relaxed if she transitioned to a healthy lifestyle.
on basculât Si on basculât vers une autre entreprise, on pourrait avoir de meilleures opportunités. If one switched to another company, one could have better opportunities.
nous basculassions Si nous basculassions vers un autre système, nous pourrions résoudre nos problèmes. If we switched to another system, we could solve our problems.
vous basculassiez Si vous basculassiez encore plus, vous seriez des experts. If you switched even more, you would be experts.
ils basculassent S’ils basculassent vers une autre méthode, ils pourraient réussir. If they switched to another method, they could succeed.
elles basculassent Si elles basculassent ensemble, elles pourraient partager leurs idées. If they switched together, they could share their ideas.

Other Conjugations for Basculer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb basculer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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