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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bourlinguer

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The English translation of the French verb bourlinguer is “to travel around, to roam, to wander.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “boor-lin-guh-ay.”

The word bourlinguer comes from the Old French word “bourlinguer,” meaning to roll or toss. It is believed to have originated from the Germanic word “brollen,” meaning to rumble or roar.

In every day French, bourlinguer 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” and the imperfect form of the main verb.

Here are three simple examples of bourlinguer used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je bourlinguasse autour du monde pour trouver ma véritable passion. (I had to travel around the world to find my true passion.)

  2. Si nous bourlinguions ensemble comme prévu, nous aurions découvert de nouveaux horizons. (If we had traveled together as planned, we would have discovered new horizons.)

  3. Il désirait que je bourlingue en solitaire pour mieux me connaître. (He wanted me to travel alone to get to know myself better.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bourlinguasse Si j’étais plus courageuse, je bourlinguasse à travers le monde. If I were braver, I would travel the world.
tu bourlinguasses Si tu aimais l’aventure, tu bourlinguasses avec moi. If you loved adventure, you would travel with me.
il bourlinguât Il serait heureux si il bourlinguât dans des pays exotiques. He would be happy if he traveled to exotic countries.
elle bourlinguât Elle serait émerveillée si elle bourlinguât sur un voilier. She would be amazed if she sailed on a sailboat.
on bourlinguât Si on bourlinguât en groupe, on rencontrerait plus de gens. If one traveled in a group, one would meet more people.
nous bourlinguassions Si nous bourlinguassions en Europe, nous découvririons des cultures différentes. If we traveled in Europe, we would discover different cultures.
vous bourlinguassiez Si vous bourlinguassiez moins cher, vous pourriez voyager plus souvent. If you traveled cheaper, you could travel more often.
ils bourlinguassent S’ils bourlinguassent en Asie, ils apprendraient de nouvelles langues. If they traveled in Asia, they would learn new languages.
elles bourlinguassent Si elles bourlinguassent ensemble, elles se feraient de bons souvenirs. If they traveled together, they would make good memories.

Other Conjugations for Bourlinguer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bourlinguer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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