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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bisser

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The English translation of the French verb bisser is “to boo” or “to hiss”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “bee-seh”.

The word bisser comes from the Old French word “bescier” which means “to whistle” or “to hiss”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Je craignais que les supporters ne bisssent l’équipe adverse. (I was afraid that the supporters would boo the opposing team.)

  2. Il fallait que nous bisssions le maire pendant son discours. (We had to boo the mayor during his speech.)

  3. J’aimerais que les acteurs ne bissent pas pendant la pièce de théâtre. (I would like the actors not to hiss during the play.)

English translations:

  1. I was afraid that the supporters would boo the opposing team.

  2. We had to boo the mayor during his speech.

  3. I would like the actors not to hiss during the play.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bissasse Si j’étais sur scène, je bissasse mon solo. If I were on stage, I would encore my solo.
tu bissasses Si tu avais chanté plus fort, tu bissasses. If you had sung louder, you would have encored.
il bissât Il aurait été heureux si il bissât sa chanson préférée. He would have been happy if he encored his favorite song.
elle bissât Elle serait plus confiante si elle bissât souvent. She would be more confident if she encored often.
on bissât Si on bissât moins, les musiciens pourraient se reposer. If one encored less, the musicians could rest.
nous bissassions Si nous bissassions ensemble, ça serait plus amusant. If we encored together, it would be more fun.
vous bissassiez Si vous bissassiez en cœur, le public serait ravi. If you encored in unison, the audience would be delighted.
ils bissassent S’ils bissassent à chaque concert, ça serait lassant. If they encored at every concert, it would be tiresome.
elles bissassent Si elles bissassent à tue-tête, ça serait gênant. If they encored loudly, it would be embarrassing.

Other Conjugations for Bisser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bisser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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