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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb buriner

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The English translation of the French verb buriner is “to chisel” or “to engrave.” The infinitive form, buriner, is pronounced as “byu-ree-nay.”

Buriner comes from the Old French word “boriner,” meaning “to bore” or “to pierce.” It is derived from the Latin word “pernare,” meaning “to pierce.”

In everyday French, buriner is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It can also be used to express a wish or desire in the past.

Here are 3 simple examples of buriner in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu burines mon nom sur ce rocher. (I would have liked for you to chisel my name on this rock.)
  2. Elle aurait préféré que je lui burine un dessin sur le bracelet. (She would have preferred for me to engrave a drawing on her bracelet.)
  3. Nous aurions voulu que vous buriniez vos initiales sur cette bague. (We would have wanted for you to engrave your initials on this ring.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je burinasse Si j’avais un burin, je burinasse des sculptures. If I had a chisel, I would carve sculptures.
tu burinasses Si tu voulais apprendre à buriner, tu burinasses avec moi. If you wanted to learn how to chisel, you would chisel with me.
il burinât Il faudrait qu’il burinât plus pour améliorer sa technique. He would have to chisel more to improve his technique.
elle burinât Elle ne serait pas fatiguée si elle burinât moins longtemps. She wouldn’t be tired if she didn’t chisel for as long.
on burinât Il serait plus facile si on burinât ensemble. It would be easier if we chiseled together.
nous burinassions Si nous burinassions le bois, nous ferions des gravures. If we chiseled wood, we would make engravings.
vous burinassiez Si vous burinassiez le métal, vous créeriez des bijoux. If you chiseled metal, you would create jewelry.
ils burinassent S’ils avaient plus de burins, ils burinassent plus vite. If they had more chisels, they would chisel faster.
elles burinassent Si elles burinassent ensemble, elles auraient plus de matériel. If they chiseled together, they would have more materials.

Other Conjugations for Buriner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb buriner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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