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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb branler

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The English translation of the French verb branler is “to shake” or “to sway.” The infinitive form is pronounced “brahn-leh.”

The word branler comes from the Old French term “branle,” which originally meant “to swing” or “to rock.” It is most commonly used in everyday French to express movement or instability, both physically and metaphorically.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, branler is often used to express a possibility or hypothetical situation in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense with their English translations:

  1. Je craignais que la chaise branlât sous mon poids. (I was afraid that the chair would shake under my weight.)
  2. Il était important que tu ne branlasses pas lors de la présentation. (It was important that you didn’t sway during the presentation.)
  3. Nous avions peur que la situation ne branlât nos convictions. (We were afraid that the situation would shake our beliefs.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je branlasse Si je ne travaillais pas, je branlasse toute la journée. If I didn’t work, I would loaf around all day.
tu branlasses Si tu étais plus motivé, tu branlasses moins. If you were more motivated, you would dawdle less.
il branlât Il serait plus efficace s’il branlât plus vite. He would be more efficient if he worked faster.
elle branlât Elle serait plus productive si elle branlât moins. She would be more productive if she dawdled less.
on branlât Si on branlât moins, on ferait plus de choses. If one dawdled less, one would do more things.
nous branlassions Si nous ne branlassions pas autant, nous serions plus avancés. If we didn’t dawdle so much, we would be further ahead.
vous branlassiez Si vous branlassiez plus, vous seriez plus fatigués. If you dawdled more, you would be more tired.
ils branlassent S’ils ne se branlassent pas autant, ils seraient plus disciplinés. If they didn’t dawdle so much, they would be more disciplined.
elles branlassent Si elles se branlassent moins, elles auraient plus de temps. If they dawdled less, they would have more time.

Other Conjugations for Branler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb branler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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