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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bêcheveter

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The English translation of the French verb bêcheveter is “to grumble”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “beh-sheh-vet-eh”.

Bêcheveter comes from the word “bêcheve”, which means “to grumble” in old French, and “veter”, which means “to say” in Latin. It is most often used in informal and colloquial French to express a mild form of complaining or discontent.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, bêcheveter is conjugated as follows:

  • je bêchevetasse
  • tu bêchevetasses
  • il/elle/on bêchevetât
  • nous bêchevetassions
  • vous bêchevetassiez
  • ils/elles bêchevetassent

Three examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations are:

  1. Il fallait que je bêchevetasse un peu après cette journée de travail. (I had to grumble a bit after this day of work.)
  2. Nous préférions qu’ils ne bêchevetassent pas trop sur la nourriture que nous avions préparée. (We preferred that they didn’t grumble too much about the food we had prepared.)
  3. Il était important que les enfants ne bêchevetassent pas sur le fait de devoir ranger leur chambre. (It was important that the children didn’t grumble about having to tidy up their room.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bêchevetasse Si j’étais doué en jardinage, je bêchevetasse toutes les semaines. If I were good at gardening, I would use a spade every week.
tu bêchevetasses Si tu bêchevetasses plus régulièrement, tu aurais de beaux jardins. If you spaded more regularly, you would have beautiful gardens.
il bêchevetât Il serait surpris si il bêchevetât aussi bien que toi. He would be surprised if he spaded as well as you.
elle bêchevetât Elle serait contente si elle bêchevetât avec toi. She would be happy if she spaded with you.
on bêchevetât Si on bêchevetât plus souvent, on aurait des légumes frais. If one spaded more often, one would have fresh vegetables.
nous bêchevetassions Si nous bêchevetassions ensemble, nous aurions des bons exercices. If we spaded together, we would have good exercise.
vous bêchevetassiez Si vous bêchevetassiez, vos jardins seraient magnifiques. If you spaded, your gardens would be beautiful.
ils bêchevetassent S’ils bêchevetassent plus soigneusement, leurs jardins seraient impeccables. If they spaded more carefully, their gardens would be impeccable.
elles bêchevetassent Si elles bêchevetassent, elles pourraient avoir des récoltes abondantes. If they spaded, they could have plentiful harvests.

Other Conjugations for Bêcheveter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bêcheveter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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