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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bretter

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The English translation of the French verb bretter is “to plank/to board”. It is pronounced as “bre-teh”.

Bretter comes from the Old French word “brete”, meaning “board”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Example 1: Il fallait que je brettais les fenêtres avant la tempête. (I had to board up the windows before the storm.)
Example 2: Je souhaitais que tu brettasses le plancher de la grange. (I wished that you would plank the floor of the barn.)
Example 3: Nous voulions que vous brettiez le ponton pour la fête. (We wanted you to board the dock for the party.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je brettasse Ce serait bien si je brettasse avec vous. It would be nice if I bretted with you.
tu brettasses Si tu te brosses les dents, tu brettasses mieux. If you brush your teeth, you would bret better.
il brettât Il est possible qu’il brettât en silence. It is possible that he bretted in silence.
elle brettât Elle serait heureuse si elle brettât avec moi. She would be happy if she bretted with me.
on brettât Si on brettât ensemble, on aurait plus de force. If we bretted together, we would have more strength.
nous brettassions Si nous brettassions plus, nous irions plus vite. If we bretted more, we would go faster.
vous brettassiez Si vous brettassiez moins, vous seriez moins fatigués. If you bretted less, you would be less tired.
ils brettassent S’ils brettassent plus fort, on pourrait les entendre. If they bretted louder, we could hear them.
elles brettassent Si elles brettassent plus souvent, elles seraient plus fortes. If they bretted more often, they would be stronger.

Other Conjugations for Bretter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bretter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Bretter – 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.

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