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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb briquer

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The English translation of the French verb briquer is “to shine/polish”. The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “bree-kay”.

The word “briquer” comes from the Old French word “brique” meaning “brick”, which was also used to refer to a small piece of glass or stone used to polish surfaces.

In everyday French, the verb briquer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a possibility, wish, or uncertainty in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the conditional tense to form the Subjonctif Imparfait tense.

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que je briquasse mes chaussures avant la soirée. (I had to shine my shoes before the party.)
  2. Nous voulions que vous briquassiez la table avant le dîner. (We wanted you to polish the table before dinner.)
  3. Elle souhaitait que nous briquions les verres pour le repas. (She wished for us to shine the glasses for the meal.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je briquasse Si j’avais le temps, je briquasse la maison. If I had the time, I would clean the house.
tu briqueasses Si tu étais plus organisé, tu briqueasses plus souvent. If you were more organized, you would clean more often.
il briqueât Il serait fier si il briqueât mieux. He would be proud if he cleaned better.
elle briqueât Elle serait ravie si elle briqueât toute la journée. She would be delighted if she cleaned all day.
on briqueât Si on briqueât plus souvent, la maison serait plus propre. If one cleaned more often, the house would be cleaner.
nous briqueassions Si nous briqueassions ensemble, ça irait plus vite. If we cleaned together, it would go faster.
vous briqueassiez Si vous briqueassiez moins longtemps, vous auriez plus de temps libre. If you cleaned for less time, you would have more free time.
ils briqueassent S’ils briqueassent plus méticuleusement, ça serait plus propre. If they cleaned more meticulously, it would be cleaner.
elles briqueassent Si elles briqueassent ensemble, ça pourrait être amusant. If they cleaned together, it could be fun.

Other Conjugations for Briquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb briquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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