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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bastionner

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The English translation of the French verb bastionner is “to fortify/to reinforce.” It is pronounced as “bah-stee-oh-nay” in the infinitive form.

Bastionner comes from the noun “bastion,” which means a stronghold or a fortified wall. It is derived from the Italian word “bastione” and ultimately from the Latin word “bastire,” meaning “to build.”

In everyday French, bastionner is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a wish, a doubt or a hypothetical situation in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Il fallait que je bastionne la porte pour qu’elle ne s’ouvre pas pendant la tempête. (I had to fortify the door so it wouldn’t open during the storm.)

  2. J’aimerais que tu bastionnes tes arguments avec des preuves solides avant de les présenter au jury. (I wish you would reinforce your arguments with solid evidence before presenting them to the jury.)

  3. Si je pouvais, je bastionnerais mes craintes et j’oserais lui parler. (If I could, I would fortify my fears and dare to talk to her.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bastionnasse Je pourrais finir si je bastionnasse assez tôt. I could finish if I fortified early enough.
tu bastionnasses Si tu te motivais, tu bastionnasses plus vite. If you got motivated, you would fortify faster.
il bastionnât Il serait mieux si il bastionnât les murs. It would be better if he fortified the walls.
elle bastionnât Elle serait satisfaite si elle bastionnât bien. She would be satisfied if she fortified well.
on bastionnât Si on bastionnât la ville, on serait plus en sécurité. If one fortified the city, one would be safer.
nous bastionnassions Si nous bastionnassions ensemble, ça serait plus rapide. If we fortified together, it would be quicker.
vous bastionnassiez Si vous bastionnassiez correctement, ça serait plus efficace. If you fortified correctly, it would be more effective.
ils bastionnassent S’ils bastionnassent les portes, ça serait bloqué. If they fortified the gates, it would be blocked.
elles bastionnassent Si elles bastionnassent les murs, ça serait plus solide. If they fortified the walls, it would be stronger.

Other Conjugations for Bastionner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bastionner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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