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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bidouiller

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The English translation of the French verb bidouiller is “to tinker” or “to fiddle with.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “bee-doo-ee-yay.”

The word bidouiller comes from the French word “bidouille,” which means “a makeshift or improvised object.” It is believed to originate from the word “bidon,” which means “can” or “container.” In everyday French, bidouiller is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action.

  1. Je voulais que tu bidouilles le moteur de la voiture avant notre voyage. (I wanted you to tinker with the car engine before our trip.)

  2. Il fallait que nous bidouillions sur le système informatique pour trouver la panne. (We had to fiddle with the computer system to find the problem.)

  3. Elle aurait aimé que je bidouille la recette de gâteau pour la rendre plus légère. (She would have liked me to tinker with the cake recipe to make it lighter.)

  4. I wanted you to tinker with the car engine before our trip.

  5. We had to fiddle with the computer system to find the problem.

  6. She would have liked me to tinker with the cake recipe to make it lighter.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bidouillasse Si j’avais plus de temps, je bidouillasse tous les jours. If I had more time, I would tinker every day.
tu bidouillasses Si tu bidouillasses plus, tu trouverais des solutions. If you tinkered more, you would find solutions.
il bidouillât Il serait content si il bidouillât avec ses amis. He would be happy if he tinkered with his friends.
elle bidouillât Elle serait surprise si elle bidouillât bien. She would be surprised if she tinkered well.
on bidouillât Si on bidouillât ensemble, on pourrait s’entraider. If one tinkered together, one could help each other.
nous bidouillassions Si nous bidouillassions ensemble, nous trouverions des idées. If we tinkered together, we would come up with ideas.
vous bidouillassiez Si vous bidouillassiez plus, vous seriez plus créatif. If you tinkered more, you would be more creative.
ils bidouillassent S’ils bidouillassent ensemble, ils auraient du plaisir. If they tinkered together, they would have fun.
elles bidouillassent Si elles bidouillassent ensemble, elles auraient des solutions. If they tinkered together, they would have solutions.

Other Conjugations for Bidouiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bidouiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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