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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb braiser

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The English translation of the French verb braiser is “to braise.” The infinitive form, braiser, is pronounced as “brah-zay.”

Braiser comes from the Old French word “brais,” which means “embers.” It is most often used in the kitchen, referring to a cooking technique where food is first seared at high heat and then slow-cooked in a liquid over low heat.

In everyday French, braiser is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense with their English translations:

  1. Je recommandais que tu braises le poulet pour qu’il soit bien tendre. (I was recommending that you braise the chicken so that it would be tender.)

  2. Il fallait que nous braisions les légumes avant de les mettre dans le ragoût. (We had to braise the vegetables before putting them in the stew.)

  3. Je souhaitais que vous braisiez la viande plus longtemps pour qu’elle soit plus savoureuse. (I wished that you would braise the meat for longer so that it would be more flavorful.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je braisasse Si j’avais le temps, je braisasse plus de viande. If I had the time, I would braise more meat.
tu braisasses Si tu avais un meilleur couteau, tu braisasses mieux. If you had a better knife, you would braise better.
il braisât Il serait moins fatigué si il braisât moins longtemps. He would be less tired if he braised for less time.
elle braisât Elle serait ravie si elle braisât plus souvent. She would be delighted if she braised more often.
on braisât Si on braisât plus de légumes, on mangerait plus sainement. If one braised more vegetables, one would eat more healthily.
nous braisassions Si nous braisassions ensemble, ça serait plus convivial. If we braised together, it would be more friendly.
vous braisassiez Si vous braisassiez plus de plats, vous auriez plus de choix. If you braised more dishes, you would have more choices.
ils braisassent S’ils braisassent moins fort, je ne me brûlerais pas. If they braised less strongly, I wouldn’t burn myself.
elles braisassent Si elles braisassent ensemble, ça serait plus économique. If they braised together, it would be more economical.

Other Conjugations for Braiser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb braiser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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