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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bégayer

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The English translation of the French verb bégayer is “to stutter.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “bay-ga-yay.”

The language origin of bégayer can be traced back to the Old French word “beg” meaning “to stammer” or “to hesitate.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses an action or state that is uncertain or hypothetical in the past.

Examples of bégayer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je bégayasse devant mon patron. (I had to stutter in front of my boss.)
  2. Je regrettais que tu bégayasses à chaque présentation. (I was sorry that you stuttered during each presentation.)
  3. Nous préférions qu’ils ne bégayassent pas lors de leur discours. (We preferred that they didn’t stutter during their speech.)

English translations:

  1. I had to stutter in front of my boss.
  2. I was sorry that you stuttered during each presentation.
  3. We preferred that they didn’t stutter during their speech.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bégéasse Si j’étais nerveux, je bégéasse tout le temps. If I were nervous, I would stammer all the time.
tu bégéasses Si tu étais plus timide, tu bégéasses moins. If you were more shy, you would stutter less.
il bégéât Il serait plus confiant s’il ne bégéât pas. He would be more confident if he didn’t stutter.
elle bégéât Elle serait plus à l’aise si elle ne bégéât pas. She would be more comfortable if she didn’t stutter.
on bégéât Si on ne bégéât pas, on parlerait plus facilement. If one didn’t stutter, one would speak more easily.
nous bégéassions Si nous bégéassions ensemble, ça serait difficile. If we stuttered together, it would be difficult.
vous bégéassiez Si vous bégéassiez moins, vous parleriez mieux. If you stuttered less, you would speak better.
ils bégéassent S’ils ne bégéassent pas, ils seraient plus confiants. If they didn’t stutter, they would be more confident.
elles bégéassent Si elles ne bégéassent pas, elles seraient plus fluides. If they didn’t stutter, they would be more fluent.

Other Conjugations for Bégayer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bégayer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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