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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb billonner

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The English translation of the French verb billonner is “to bubble” or “to foam.” It is pronounced “bee-yoh-nay.”

The word billonner comes from the French word “billon,” which means “a mixture of metals.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a verb tense used to express uncertainty or hypothetical situations.

Here are three simple examples of billonner in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que l’eau billonnât pour que nous puissions remarquer les bulles. (It was necessary for the water to bubble so that we could notice the bubbles.)

  2. J’étais contente que la pâte billonnât correctement pendant la cuisson. (I was happy that the dough was bubbling properly during baking.)

  3. Nous aimerions qu’il y ait des vagues qui billonnent pour pouvoir faire du surf. (We would like there to be waves that are bubbling so we can go surfing.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je billonnasse Si j’étais riche, je billonnasse plus mes cheveux. If I were rich, I would have more voluminous hair.
tu billonnasses Si tu étudies plus, tu billonnasses plus ton papier. If you studied more, you would crumple your paper more.
il billonnât Il serait content si il billonnât son t-shirt. He would be happy if he wrinkled his t-shirt.
elle billonnât Elle serait surprise si elle billonnât le drap. She would be surprised if she wrinkled the sheet.
on billonnât Si on billonnât le papier, on obtiendrait un effet froissé. If one wrinkled the paper, one would get a crumpled effect.
nous billonnassions Si nous billonnassions plus, nous aurions des rides prématurées. If we wrinkled more, we would have premature wrinkles.
vous billonnassiez Si vous billonnassiez moins, vous auriez moins de marques. If you wrinkled less, you would have fewer marks.
ils billonnassent S’ils billonnassent leur front, ils auraient l’air plus sérieux. If they wrinkled their forehead, they would look more serious.
elles billonnassent Si elles billonnassent leur nez, elles auraient l’air plus mignonnes. If they wrinkled their nose, they would look cuter.

Other Conjugations for Billonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb billonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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