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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb boycotter

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The English translation of the French verb boycotter is “to boycott.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “boi-kot-ey.”

The word “boycotter” comes from the name of an English land agent, Charles Cunningham Boycott, who was ostracized by Irish workers in the late 19th century as a form of protest. It entered the French language in the late 19th century and has been used in everyday French to refer to actively abstaining from or avoiding something as a form of protest or pressure.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, boycotter is most often used with the auxiliary verb “avoir” and the past participle “boycotté” to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Some examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Nous aurions boycotté le concert s’il n’y avait pas eu de mesures de sécurité suffisantes. (We would have boycotted the concert if there had not been sufficient security measures.)

  2. Il fallait que je boycotte cette marque pour protester contre leur politique de production. (I had to boycott this brand to protest against their production policy.)

  3. Si tu boycottais les produits de cette entreprise, elle serait obligée de changer ses pratiques. (If you were to boycott this company’s products, they would be forced to change their practices.)

  4. We would have boycotted the concert if there had not been sufficient security measures.

  5. I had to boycott this brand to protest against their production policy.

  6. If you were to boycott this company’s products, they would be forced to change their practices.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je boycotterais Si j’étais toi, je boycotterais cette marque. If I were you, I would boycott this brand.
tu boycotterais Si tu boycottais ce produit, tu aurais plus d’argent. If you boycotted this product, you would have more money.
il boycotterait Il boycotterait cette entreprise s’il connaissait leur politique. He would boycott this company if he knew their policies.
elle boycotterait Elle boycotterait ce magasin si elle pouvait trouver ailleurs. She would boycott this store if she could find elsewhere.
on boycotterait On boycotterait cette marque si on était plus conscient. We would boycott this brand if we were more aware.
nous boycottions Si nous boycottions ensemble, ça serait plus efficace. If we boycotted together, it would be more effective.
vous boycotteriez Si vous boycottiez moins, vous consommeriez plus. If you boycotted less, you would consume more.
ils boycotteraient S’ils boycotteraient ces produits, les prix baisseraient. If they boycotted these products, prices would decrease.
elles boycotteraient Si elles boycotteraient ce marché, il y aurait un changement. If they boycotted this market, there would be a change.

Other Conjugations for Boycotter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb boycotter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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