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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb busquer

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The English translation of the French verb busquer is “to search” or “to look for”. The infinitive form of busquer is pronounced “boos-kay”.

The language origin of busquer comes from the Latin word “buscare”, meaning “to look for”. It is most often used in every day French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express actions that are uncertain, hypothetical, or dependent on another action.

Three simple examples of busquer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Je cherchais une solution, bien que je busquasse en vain. (I was searching for a solution, even though I was looking for it in vain.)
  2. Il fallait que nous busquassions des informations avant de prendre une décision. (We had to search for information before making a decision.)
  3. Si tu busquais un peu plus, tu trouverais peut-être ce que tu cherches. (If you searched a little more, you might find what you’re looking for.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je busquasse Je doute qu’il busquasse assez d’argent pour ça. I doubt he would have enough money for that.
tu busquasses Si tu y allais, tu busquasses un peu de tranquillité. If you went there, you would find some peace.
il busquât Il faudrait qu’il busquât plus fort pour réussir. He would have to search harder to succeed.
elle busquât Elle préférait que je busquât seule cette information. She preferred that I searched for this information alone.
on busquât Si on busquât ensemble, on trouverait plus vite. If we searched together, we would find faster.
nous busquassions Si nous busquassions plus tôt, nous aurions plus de temps libre. If we searched earlier, we would have more free time.
vous busquassiez Si vous busquassiez mieux, vous trouveriez plus de réponses. If you searched better, you would find more answers.
ils busquassent Je serais surprise s’ils busquassent aussi loin. I would be surprised if they searched that far.
elles busquassent Si elles busquassent plus soigneusement, elles trouveraient plus d’indices. If they searched more carefully, they would find more clues.

Other Conjugations for Busquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb busquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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