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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bêcher

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The English translation of the French verb bêcher is “to dig”. It is pronounced as “bay-shay” in its infinitive form.

The language origin of bêcher can be traced back to the Latin word “fodere”, meaning “to dig”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a desired action in the past or a hypothetical situation.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Nous souhaitions que tu bêchasses le jardin avant notre arrivée. (We wished that you had dug the garden before our arrival.)
  2. Il était important que nous bêchions la terre avant de planter les légumes. (It was important that we dug the soil before planting the vegetables.)
  3. Je souhaitais que vous bêchiez plus profondément pour trouver des trésors. (I wished that you dug deeper to find treasures.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bêchasse Si j’avais le temps, je bêchasse dans mon jardin. If I had the time, I would dig in my garden.
tu bêchasses Tu aurais mal au dos si tu bêchasses toute la journée. You would have back pain if you dug all day.
il bêchât Il serait content si il bêchât bien le sol. He would be happy if he dug the ground well.
elle bêchât Elle serait satisfaite si elle bêchât efficacement. She would be satisfied if she dug efficiently.
on bêchât Si on bêchât plus profondément, on trouverait plus de trésors. If one dug deeper, one would find more treasures.
nous bêchassions Si nous bêchassions ensemble, le travail serait plus rapide. If we dug together, the work would be faster.
vous bêchassiez Si vous bêchassiez moins, vous auriez moins de courbatures. If you dug less, you would have less soreness.
ils bêchassent S’ils bêchassent plus souvent, leur jardin serait plus beau. If they dug more often, their garden would be more beautiful.
elles bêchassent Si elles bêchassent toutes ensemble, elles seraient plus efficaces. If they all dug together, they would be more efficient.

Other Conjugations for Bêcher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bêcher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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