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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bricoler

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The English translation of the French verb bricoler is “to tinker” or “to do odd jobs”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “bree-koh-lay”.

The word bricoler comes from the French word “bricole” which means “trifle” or “small thing”. It is derived from the Old French word “bricolle” which refers to a small tool or piece of equipment.

In everyday French, the verb bricoler is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or situation in the past. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imparfait tense and the past participle “bricolé”.

Here are three simple examples of bricoler used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Je doute qu’il ait bricolé le moteur de sa voiture. (I doubt he tinkered with his car engine.)

  2. Il fallait que je bricolasse un peu pour réparer la fuite d’eau. (I had to tinker a bit to fix the leak.)

  3. Il est possible qu’elle ait bricolé ces vieux meubles pour en faire des oeuvres d’art. (It’s possible that she tinkered with these old furniture pieces to turn them into works of art.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je bricolasse Si j’avais plus de temps, je bricolasse plus souvent. If I had more time, I would tinker more often.
tu bricolasses Si tu bricolasses plus souvent, tu serais plus habile. If you tinkered more often, you would be more skillful.
il bricolât Il serait heureux si il bricolât avec ses amis. He would be happy if he tinkered with his friends.
elle bricolât Elle serait fière si elle bricolât sa propre voiture. She would be proud if she tinkered with her own car.
on bricolât Si on bricolât ensemble, on pourrait apprendre des choses. If one tinkered together, one could learn things.
nous bricolassions Si nous bricolassions plus souvent, nous pourrions réparer nos propres vélos. If we tinkered more often, we could fix our own bikes.
vous bricolassiez Si vous bricolassiez ensemble, vous pourriez trouver des solutions. If you tinkered together, you could find solutions.
ils bricolassent S’ils bricolassent plus souvent, ils pourraient économiser de l’argent. If they tinkered more often, they could save money.
elles bricolassent Si elles bricolassent ensemble, elles pourraient créer de belles choses. If they tinkered together, they could create beautiful things.

Other Conjugations for Bricoler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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