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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bourriquer

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The English translation of the French verb bourriquer is “to bungle” or “to mess up.” The infinitive form is pronounced as [buʁi.ke].

The word bourriquer comes from the Old French word “bourrir,” meaning “to make a mistake” or “to do something foolishly.” It is most commonly used in everyday French to describe making a mistake or messing something up.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, bourriquer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the verb “pouvoir” (to be able to) or “devoir” (to have to).

Example 1: Je craignais que tu bourriquais encore une fois.
English translation: I was afraid that you would mess up again.

Example 2: Il fallait que je ne bourriquasse pas devant tout le monde.
English translation: I had to not mess up in front of everyone.

Example 3: Nous avions peur qu’ils bourriquassent le projet.
English translation: We were afraid that they would bungle the project.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bourriquasse Si je bourriquasse, je ferais plus d’erreurs. If I made more mistakes, I would work harder.
tu bourriquasses Si tu ne bourriquasses pas autant, tu apprendrais mieux. If you didn’t make so many mistakes, you would learn better.
il bourriquât Il serait en colère si il bourriquât autant. He would be angry if he made as many mistakes.
elle bourriquât Elle serait perdue si elle bourriquât tout le temps. She would be lost if she made mistakes all the time.
on bourriquât Si on bourriquât moins, on aurait plus de temps. If one made less mistakes, one would have more time.
nous bourriquassions Si nous ne bourriquassions pas autant, nous irions plus vite. If we didn’t make so many mistakes, we would go faster.
vous bourriquassiez Si vous bourriquassiez plus, vous obtiendriez de meilleurs résultats. If you made more mistakes, you would get better results.
ils bourriquassent S’ils bourriquassent moins, ils auraient plus de succès. If they made less mistakes, they would have more success.
elles bourriquassent Si elles bourriquassent ensemble, ça serait un désastre. If they made mistakes together, it would be a disaster.

Other Conjugations for Bourriquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bourriquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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