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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb beurrer

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The English translation of the French verb beurrer is “to butter.” It is pronounced as “beu-reh.”

The language origin of beurrer comes from the French word “beurre,” meaning “butter.” It is a regular -er verb and is most often used in every day French to describe the action of spreading butter on something.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, beurrer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is formed by using the imperfect subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” (aie) or “être” (sois) followed by the past participle of beurrer (beurré).

Here are 3 simple examples of beurrer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je beurrasse les tartines avant de les servir. (I had to butter the toast before serving them.)
  2. Je préférais que tu beurrasses les légumes après les avoir cuits. (I preferred that you buttered the vegetables after cooking them.)
  3. Il était important que nous beurrions le moule avant d’y verser la pâte. (It was important that we buttered the pan before pouring in the batter.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je beurrasse Si j’étais boulanger, je beurrasse les croissants. If I were a baker, I would butter the croissants.
tu beurrasses Si tu m’aidais, tu beurrasses les tartines. If you helped me, you would butter the bread.
il beurrât Il serait content si il beurrât la tarte. He would be happy if he buttered the pie.
elle beurrât Elle ferait un meilleur gâteau si elle beurrât bien. She would make a better cake if she buttered well.
on beurrât Si on beurrât les moules, les gâteaux ne colleraient pas. If one buttered the molds, the cakes wouldn’t stick.
nous beurrassions Si nous beurrassions la poêle, les crêpes ne colleraient pas. If we buttered the pan, the crepes wouldn’t stick.
vous beurrassiez Si vous beurrassiez plus, vous auriez un meilleur goût. If you buttered more, you would have a better taste.
ils beurrassent S’ils beurrassent les tartines, ça serait plus savoureux. If they buttered the toast, it would be more tasty.
elles beurrassent Si elles beurrassent les pains, le petit déjeuner serait parfait. If they buttered the bread, breakfast would be perfect.

Other Conjugations for Beurrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb beurrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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