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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb biberonner

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The English translation of the French verb biberonner is “to bottle-feed.” It is pronounced as “bee-buh-roh-nay.”

The word biberonner originated from the French noun “biberon,” which means “bottle.” It is derived from the Latin word “bibere,” meaning “to drink.”

In everyday French, biberonner is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of the verb (biberonné).

Here are three examples of biberonner being used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que tu biberonnes le bébé avant son coucher.
    (It was necessary for you to bottle-feed the baby before bedtime.)

  2. Nous préférions que vous biberonniez le lait maternel plutôt que le lait en poudre.
    (We preferred for you to bottle-feed breast milk rather than formula.)

  3. Je me demandais si elle biberonnait son enfant ou si elle l’allaitait.
    (I was wondering if she was bottle-feeding her child or if she was breastfeeding.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je biberonnasse Si j’étais un bébé, je biberonnasse toute la journée. If I were a baby, I would suck on a bottle all day.
tu biberonnasses Si tu avais soif, tu biberonnasses plus vite. If you were thirsty, you would drink from a bottle faster.
il biberonnât Je serais surpris si il biberonnât encore à son âge. I would be surprised if he were still drinking from a bottle at his age.
elle biberonnât Elle préférerait que son bébé biberonnât au lait maternel. She would prefer if her baby drank breast milk.
on biberonnât Si on biberonnât trop, ça pourrait causer des problèmes. If one drank from a bottle too much, it could cause problems.
nous biberonnassions Si nous biberonnassions ensemble, ce serait amusant. If we drank from bottles together, it would be fun.
vous biberonnassiez Si vous biberonnassiez moins, vous auriez moins de coliques. If you drank from a bottle less, you would have less colic.
ils biberonnassent S’ils biberonnassent encore, ils seraient trop dépendants. If they were still drinking from a bottle, they would be too dependent.
elles biberonnassent Si elles biberonnassent ensemble, ça ferait beaucoup de bouteilles à laver. If they drank from bottles together, it would be a lot of bottles to wash.

Other Conjugations for Biberonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biberonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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