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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb borner

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The English translation of the French verb borner is “to limit” or “to bound.” The infinitive form, borner, is pronounced as “bohr-nay.”

The word “borner” comes from the Latin word “bournare,” which means “to limit.” It is primarily used in everyday French as a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object in a sentence. In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, it is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples of “borner” in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je me borner à un seul morceau de gâteau. (I had to limit myself to only one piece of cake.)

  2. Elle craignait que ses parents ne la bornent dans ses choix professionnels. (She was afraid her parents would limit her in her career choices.)

  3. Nous cherchions une maison, mais nous ne voulions pas nous borner à un seul quartier de la ville. (We were looking for a house, but we didn’t want to limit ourselves to just one neighborhood in the city.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bornasse Si je travaillais plus, je bornasse mon temps. If I worked more, I would limit my time.
tu bornasses Si tu étais plus organisé, tu bornasses tes projets. If you were more organized, you would set limits for your projects.
il bornât Il serait content si il bornât ses dépenses. He would be happy if he set limits for his expenses.
elle bornât Elle serait surprise si elle bornât ses rêves. She would be surprised if she defined limits for her dreams.
on bornât Si on bornât les règles, on éviterait les conflits. If one set limits for the rules, one would avoid conflicts.
nous bornassions Si nous bornassions nos envies, nous serions plus satisfaits. If we set limits for our desires, we would be more satisfied.
vous bornassiez Si vous bornassiez vos ambitions, vous seriez plus réalistes. If you set limits for your ambitions, you would be more realistic.
ils bornassent S’ils bornassent leurs critiques, ils seraient plus constructifs. If they set limits for their criticisms, they would be more constructive.
elles bornassent Si elles bornassent leurs attentes, ça serait plus facile. If they set limits for their expectations, it would be easier.

Other Conjugations for Borner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb borner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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