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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bombarder

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The English translation of the French verb bombarder is “to bombard” or “to bomb.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “bohm-bar-day” with the stress on the last syllable.

The word “bombarder” originated from the Latin word “bombardare,” meaning to attack with a bomb. It was first used in French in the 15th century.

In everyday French, the verb bombarder is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense with the respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que nous bombardions la ville ennemie. (We had to bombard the enemy city.)

  2. J’avais peur que vous bombardiez la région civile. (I was afraid that you would bomb the civilian area.)

  3. Nous aimions que les avions bombardent la base militaire. (We liked it when the planes would bomb the military base.)

In all three sentences, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a hypothetical situation in the past. The English translations also use the past tense to convey the same meaning.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bombardasse Je serais contente si je bombardasse moins. I would be happy if I bombarded less.
tu bombardasses Si tu bombardasses plus fort, tu réussirais mieux. If you bombarded harder, you would succeed better.
il bombardât Il serait furieux si il bombardât au mauvais endroit. He would be furious if he bombarded in the wrong place.
elle bombardât Elle s’inquiéterait si elle bombardât trop fort. She would worry if she bombarded too hard.
on bombardât Si on bombardât à l’aveuglette, on causerait des dommages. If one bombarded blindly, one would cause damage.
nous bombardassions Si nous bombardassions ensemble, nous irions plus vite. If we bombarded together, we would go faster.
vous bombardassiez Si vous bombardassiez moins, vous gaspilleriez moins de munitions. If you bombarded less, you would waste less ammunition.
ils bombardassent S’ils bombardassent avec précision, ils détruiraient la cible. If they bombarded accurately, they would destroy the target.
elles bombardassent Si elles bombardassent en même temps, l’impact serait plus fort. If they bombarded at the same time, the impact would be stronger.

Other Conjugations for Bombarder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bombarder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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