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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb béqueter

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of béqueter. 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 béqueter is “to peck” or “to nibble”. The infinitive form is pronounced as [bekəte].

The word béqueter comes from the Old French word “becheter” which means “to peck”. It is derived from the Latin word “biccare” which also means “to peck”.

In everyday French, béqueter is most commonly used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical action or situation in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the conjunction “si” (if) to express a condition.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je béquète mes aliments plus lentement si je voulais éviter de m’étouffer. (I had to nibble my food more slowly if I wanted to avoid choking.)

  2. J’aimerais que tu béquètes moins de sucreries si tu veux garder la ligne. (I wish you would nibble less sweets if you want to stay in shape.)

  3. Si j’étais un oiseau, je béquèterais toutes les graines que je trouverais. (If I were a bird, I would peck on all the seeds I could find.)

English translations:

  1. It was necessary for me to nibble my food more slowly if I wanted to avoid choking.
  2. I would like you to nibble less sweets if you want to stay in shape.
  3. If I were a bird, I would peck on all the seeds I could find.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je béquetasse Si j’étais un oiseau, je béquetasse toute la journée. If I were a bird, I would peck all day.
tu béquetasses Si tu avais faim, tu béquetasses ton repas. If you were hungry, you would peck at your meal.
il béquetât Il serait content si il béquetât les grains. He would be happy if he pecked at the grains.
elle béquetât Elle serait heureuse si elle béquetât les miettes. She would be happy if she pecked at the crumbs.
on béquetât Si on béquetât les fruits, on aurait moins de gaspillage. If one pecked at the fruits, there would be less waste.
nous béquetassions Si nous béquetassions ensemble, on se comprendrait mieux. If we pecked together, we would understand each other better.
vous béquetassiez Si vous béquetassiez moins, on pourrait partager. If you pecked less, we could share.
ils béquetassent S’ils béquetassent plus doucement, on pourrait se reposer. If they pecked more gently, we could rest.
elles béquetassent Si elles béquetassent ensemble, ça serait amusant. If they pecked together, it would be fun.

Other Conjugations for Béqueter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb béqueter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 béqueter Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply