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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bavasser

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The English translation of the French verb bavasser is “to chatter” or “to gossip”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “ba-va-say”.

The language origin of bavasser can be traced back to the Old French word “bavaser”, which means “to talk nonsense or chatter”. It comes from the word “baver”, which means “to drool” or “to slobber”. In every day French, bavasser is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses an uncertain or hypothetical action in the past.

Examples of bavasser in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que tu ne bavassasses pas autant.
    (Translation: You shouldn’t have chattered so much.)

  2. Je doutais qu’elle bavassât sur moi.
    (Translation: I doubted that she was gossiping about me.)

  3. Nous préférions qu’ils ne bavassassent pas pendant la réunion.
    (Translation: We preferred that they didn’t chatter during the meeting.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bavassasse Je voudrais que je bavassasse plus. I wish I would talk more.
tu bavassasses Si tu bavassasses moins, tu serais plus concentré. If you talked less, you would be more focused.
il bavassât Si il bavassât moins, il aurait plus de temps libre. If he talked less, he would have more free time.
elle bavassât Je serais heureuse si elle bavassât avec moi. I would be happy if she talked with me.
on bavassât Si on bavassât à voix basse, on ne nous entendrait pas. If one talked quietly, one wouldn’t hear us.
nous bavassassions Si nous bavassassions toute la nuit, nous serions fatigués. If we talked all night, we would be tired.
vous bavassassiez Si vous bavassassiez plus fort, je vous entendrais mieux. If you talked louder, I would hear you better.
ils bavassassent S’ils bavassassent, ils ne travailleraient pas. If they talked, they wouldn’t work.
elles bavassassent Si elles bavassassent moins, elles auraient plus de temps libre. If they talked less, they would have more free time.

Other Conjugations for Bavasser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bavasser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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