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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb béguer

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of béguer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb béguer is “to beg.” It is pronounced as “bay-gay.”

Béguer comes from the Old French word “beguier” which means “to beg, to beseech.” It ultimately comes from the Latin word “beguere” which means “to beg, to beseech.”

In everyday French, béguer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses uncertainty, doubt, or a hypothetical situation in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in this tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Je regrettais que tu me béguasses toujours de l’argent. (I regretted that you were always begging me for money.)
  2. Il fallait qu’elle béguât de l’aide pour payer ses dettes. (She needed to beg for help to pay her debts.)
  3. Nous aurions aimé que vous ne nous béguiez pas pour rester dans notre maison. (We would have liked it if you didn’t beg us to stay in our house.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bégasse J’aurais honte si je bégasse en public. I would be ashamed if I stuttered in public.
tu bégasses Si tu bégasses encore, je m’ennuierais. If you stuttered again, I would get bored.
il bégât Il serait énervé si il bégât devant ses amis. He would be annoyed if he stuttered in front of his friends.
elle bégât Elle serait nerveuse si elle bégât en parlant. She would be nervous if she stuttered while speaking.
on bégât Si on bégât moins, on communiquerait mieux. If one stammered less, one would communicate better.
nous bégassions Si nous bégassions ensemble, ça serait amusant. If we stuttered together, it would be fun.
vous bégassiez Si vous bégassiez moins, vous seriez plus efficace. If you stuttered less, you would be more efficient.
ils bégassent S’ils bégassent plus fort, je deviendrais fou. If they stuttered louder, I would go crazy.
elles bégassent Si elles bégassent en même temps, on ne comprendrait rien. If they stuttered at the same time, we wouldn’t understand anything.

Other Conjugations for Béguer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb béguer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the béguer Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply