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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb brocher

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The English translation of the French verb brocher is “to bind” or “to staple.” The infinitive form of brocher is pronounced “broh-shay.”

Brocher comes from the Old French word “broche,” meaning “pointed tool” or “spike.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

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

  1. Il fallait que je broche les feuilles ensemble. (It was necessary that I bind the pages together.)
  2. Il était important que vous brochiez les documents avant la réunion. (It was important that you staple the documents before the meeting.)
  3. Je doutais que tu broches les affiches à temps. (I doubted that you would staple the posters on time.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je brochasse Si je travaillais plus, je brochasse plus rapidement. If I worked more, I would staple faster.
tu brochasses Si tu brochasses mieux, tu gagnerais plus d’argent. If you stapled better, you would earn more money.
il brochât Si il brochât plus tôt, il serait prêt maintenant. If he had stapled earlier, he would be ready now.
elle brochât Si elle brochât proprement, elle serait félicitée. If she stapled neatly, she would be praised.
on brochât Si on brochât avec soin, on éviterait les erreurs. If one stapled carefully, one would avoid mistakes.
nous brochassions Si nous brochassions tous les documents, ça irait plus vite. If we stapled all the documents, it would go faster.
vous brochassiez Si vous brochassiez systématiquement, vous seriez plus organisé. If you stapled systematically, you would be more organized.
ils brochassent Si ils brochassent en équipe, ça serait plus efficace. If they stapled as a team, it would be more efficient.
elles brochassent Si elles brochassent ensemble, elles pourraient finir plus tôt. If they stapled together, they could finish earlier.

Other Conjugations for Brocher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brocher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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