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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb benner

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The English translation of the French verb benner is “to nod off” or “to doze off.” It is pronounced “ben-nay.”

The verb benner comes from the Old French word “bene,” which means “good” or “well.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express wishes, doubts, or hypothetical situations in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’aurais préféré que tu bennes pendant le discours. (I would have preferred for you to nod off during the speech.)
  2. Il ne fallait pas que nous bennessions pendant la réunion. (We shouldn’t have dozed off during the meeting.)
  3. Si tu avais benné, tu aurais manqué l’annonce importante. (If you had nodded off, you would have missed the important announcement.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bennasse Si j’avais un camion, je bennasse tout ça. If I had a truck, I would dump all of this.
tu bennasses Si tu avais un chantier, tu bennasses tout le gravier. If you had a construction site, you would dump all the gravel.
il bennât Si il avait le permis, il bennât cette montagne de déchets. If he had a license, he would dump this mountain of waste.
elle bennât Si elle était plus forte, elle bennât plus de terre. If she were stronger, she would dump more soil.
on bennât Si on avait un bulldozer, on bennât plus vite. If one had a bulldozer, one would dump faster.
nous bennassions Si nous bennassions plus souvent, on aurait plus d’espace. If we dumped more often, we would have more space.
vous bennassiez Si vous bennassiez tout ça, vous pourriez faire un jardin. If you dumped all of this, you could make a garden.
ils bennassent Si ils avaient de l’aide, ils bennassent tout en une journée. If they had help, they would dump everything in one day.
elles bennassent Si elles étaient plus organisées, elles bennassent plus efficacement. If they were more organized, they would dump more efficiently.

Other Conjugations for Benner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb benner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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