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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bouffonner

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of bouffonner. 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 bouffonner is “to clown around” or “to act like a clown”. It is pronounced as “boo-fuh-nay”.

The word bouffonner comes from the French noun bouffon, which means “clown” or “buffoon”. It is derived from the Italian word buffone, which has the same meaning.

In everyday French, bouffonner is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is formed by using the subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of bouffonner.

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

  1. Je souhaitais que tu bouffonnasses avec tes amis. (I wished that you would clown around with your friends.)
  2. Il fallait qu’elle bouffonnât pour détendre l’atmosphère. (She had to act like a clown to lighten the mood.)
  3. Nous aurions préféré que vous ne bouffonniez pas pendant la réunion. (We would have preferred if you didn’t clown around during the meeting.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bouffonnasse Maman voulait que je bouffonnasse devant la famille. Mom wanted me to clown around in front of the family.
tu bouffonnasses Si tu me voyais bouffonnasses en classe, tu rirais. If you saw me clowning around in class, you would laugh.
il bouffonnât Le prof a demandé que il bouffonnât devant la caméra. The teacher asked him to clown in front of the camera.
elle bouffonnât Si elle bouffonnât, elle se ferait virer du spectacle. If she clowned, she would get fired from the show.
on bouffonnât Si on bouffonnât plus souvent, on serait plus joyeux. If one clowned more often, one would be happier.
nous bouffonnassions Nous aimerions que nous bouffonnassions ensemble. We would like to clown around together.
vous bouffonnassiez Je suis sûr que vous bouffonnassiez au mariage. I’m sure you clowned around at the wedding.
ils bouffonnassent Le directeur ne voulait pas que ils bouffonnassent en public. The principal didn’t want them to clown in public.
elles bouffonnassent Si elles bouffonnassent plus souvent, elles seraient plus populaires. If they clowned more often, they would be more popular.

Other Conjugations for Bouffonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bouffonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 bouffonner Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply