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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bosseler

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of bosseler. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb bosseler is “to dent” or “to bump.” The infinitive form is pronounced “bo-suh-leh.”

The word bosseler comes from the Old French word “bossel,” which means “knob” or “protuberance.” It is derived from the Latin word “buccula,” meaning “cheek” or “mouth.” In everyday French, bosseler is most often used in its past participle form, “bosselé,” to describe an object that has been dented or bumped.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, bosseler is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je bosselasse la voiture en reculant. (I had to dent the car while backing up.)
  2. Nous préférions que tu ne bosselasses pas la porte en la fermant. (We preferred that you didn’t dent the door while closing it.)
  3. Il était possible que le ballon se bosselât en tombant. (It was possible that the ball would dent when falling.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bosselasse S’il ne faisait pas si froid, je bosselasse ma voiture. If it weren’t so cold, I would dent my car.
tu bosselasses Si tu étais plus précautionneux, tu bosselasses moins ta voiture. If you were more careful, you would dent your car less.
il bosselât Il serait moins irrité si il bosselât les voitures des autres. He would be less irritated if he dented other people’s cars.
elle bosselât Elle serait triste si elle bosselât sa nouvelle voiture. She would be sad if she dented her new car.
on bosselât Si on bosselât toutes les voitures, on serait tous en colère. If everyone dented their cars, we would all be angry.
nous bosselassions Si nous bosselassions moins nos voitures, elles auraient l’air mieux. If we dented our cars less, they would look better.
vous bosselassiez Si vous bosselassiez ma voiture, je serais en colère. If you dented my car, I would be angry.
ils bosselassent S’ils bosselassent leur voiture, ils devraient aller chez le mécanicien. If they dented their car, they would have to go to the mechanic.
elles bosselassent Si elles bosselassent moins leur voiture, elles économiseraient de l’argent. If they dented their car less, they would save money.

Other Conjugations for Bosseler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bosseler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the bosseler Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply