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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb brancher

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The English translation of the French verb brancher is “to plug in” or “to connect.” It is pronounced as brahn-shey in the infinitive form.

The word brancher comes from the French word branche, meaning “branch” or “branch of a tree.” The verb brancher is most often used in everyday French to mean “to plug in” or “to connect” in a literal sense, but it can also have a figurative meaning of “to engage” or “to connect with someone in a social context.”

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, brancher is conjugated as follows:

  • je branchasse
  • tu branchasses
  • il/elle/on branchât
  • nous branchassions
  • vous branchassiez
  • ils/elles branchassent

Here are three examples of how brancher is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Je préférais qu’il branchât les câbles avant que nous commencions la présentation. (I preferred that he plugged in the cables before we started the presentation.)
  2. Il était important que tu branchasses l’imprimante pour que je puisse imprimer les documents. (It was important that you connected the printer so I could print the documents.)
  3. Nous aurions aimé que vous branchassiez votre ordinateur à internet avant de partir en vacances. (We would have liked for you to connect your computer to the internet before going on vacation.)

In all of these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. The use of brancher in this tense implies that the action may or may not have been done, or that it was desired but not necessarily fulfilled.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je branchasse Je serais content si je branchasse le câble correctement. I would be happy if I plugged in the cable correctly.
tu branchasses Si tu branchasses l’ordinateur, ça serait mieux. If you plugged in the computer, it would be better.
il branchât Il faudrait qu’il se branchât sur le réseau pour accéder à Internet. He would need to connect to the network to access the internet.
elle branchât Elle ne serait pas contente si elle branchât le mauvais appareil. She would not be happy if she connected the wrong device.
on branchât Si on branchât trop d’appareils, le courant pourrait sauter. If one plugged in too many devices, the power could go out.
nous branchassions Si nous branchassions tout le matériel, on pourrait commencer le travail. If we plugged in all the equipment, we could start the work.
vous branchassiez Si vous branchassiez les haut-parleurs, on pourrait entendre la musique. If you connected the speakers, we could hear the music.
ils branchassent S’ils branchassent le moniteur, on pourrait voir l’écran. If they plugged in the monitor, we could see the screen.
elles branchassent Si elles branchassent les prises, les appareils fonctionneraient. If they connected the plugs, the devices would work.

Other Conjugations for Brancher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brancher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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