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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb briguer

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The English translation of the French verb briguer is “to campaign” or “to seek”. The infinitive form is pronounced “bree-guh-ray”.

The word “briguer” comes from the Latin word “brigare”, meaning “to solicit”. It entered the French language in the 15th century and was commonly used in the political and military contexts. In present-day French, “briguer” is typically used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a desire or a hypothetical action.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu brigues le poste de président. (I wished for you to campaign for the position of president.)
  2. Il fallait que nous brigions le soutien des électeurs. (We needed to seek the support of the voters.)
  3. Les soldats demandaient à leur général qu’il brigua la victoire. (The soldiers were asking their general to campaign for victory.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je brigasse Si j’étais politicien, je brigasse le pouvoir. If I were a politician, I would vie for power.
tu brigasses Si tu avais plus d’expérience, tu brigasses le poste. If you had more experience, you would vie for the position.
il brigât Il serait déçu si il brigât vainement. He would be disappointed if he vied in vain.
elle brigât Elle serait en colère si elle brigât pour rien. She would be angry if she vied for nothing.
on brigât Si on brigât ensemble, on pourrait gagner. If one vied together, one could win.
nous brigassions Si nous brigassions de manière stratégique, nous pourrions réussir. If we vied strategically, we could succeed.
vous brigassiez Si vous brigassiez avec plus de conviction, vous pourriez persuader. If you vied with more conviction, you could persuade.
ils brigassent S’ils brigassent de façon agressive, ils pourraient avoir des problèmes. If they vied aggressively, they could run into problems.
elles brigassent Si elles brigassent pour la même chose, ça pourrait créer des tensions. If they vied for the same thing, it could create tensions.

Other Conjugations for Briguer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb briguer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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