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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bousiller

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The English translation of the French verb bousiller is “to ruin” or “to mess up.” It is pronounced as “boo-see-yay.”

The language origin of bousiller can be traced back to the word “bousiller,” which means “to tear” or “to break” in the regional dialect of Normandy in France. It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three examples of bousiller in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their respective translations:

  1. Il fallait que je ne bousillasse pas ma nouvelle chemise en la lavant. (I had to not ruin my new shirt while washing it.)

  2. J’aurais aimé que tu ne bousillasses pas le gâteau en le transportant. (I wish you didn’t mess up the cake while transporting it.)

  3. Il était important que nous ne bousillassions pas cette opportunité en faisant des erreurs. (It was important that we didn’t ruin this opportunity by making mistakes.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bousillasse Il faudrait que je bousillasse moins de choses. I should break less things.
tu bousillasses Je serais triste si tu bousillasses mon cadeau. I would be sad if you broke my gift.
il bousillât Il serait en colère si il bousillât son ordinateur. He would be angry if he broke his computer.
elle bousillât Elle serait déçue si elle bousillât sa robe. She would be disappointed if she ruined her dress.
on bousillât Il faudrait que on bousillât moins de choses. We should break less things.
nous bousillassions Si nous bousillassions tout, nous n’aurions plus rien à utiliser. If we broke everything, we would have nothing left to use.
vous bousillassiez Si vous bousillassiez moins, vous n’auriez pas à racheter tout. If you broke less, you wouldn’t have to buy everything again.
ils bousillassent S’ils bousillassent tout, ils n’auraient plus rien à utiliser. If they broke everything, they would have nothing left to use.
elles bousillassent Si elles bousillassent tout, elles auraient des ennuis. If they broke everything, they would have trouble.

Other Conjugations for Bousiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bousiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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