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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb buter

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The English translation of the French verb buter is “to butt” or “to collide.” It is pronounced as “byoo-tay” in its infinitive form.

The word buter comes from the Old French word “bouter,” which means “to push” or “to thrust.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or situation in the past.

Here are three simple examples of buter in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their English translations:

1) Je craignais qu’il ne butât la porte en colère. (I feared that he would slam the door in anger.)
2) Il était nécessaire que nous butions sur un compromis pour résoudre ce problème. (It was necessary for us to come to a compromise to solve this problem.)
3) J’aurais aimé que tu ne butasses pas avec moi quand j’étais en train de travailler. (I would have liked it if you didn’t bother me while I was working.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je butasse Si je faisais du sport, je butasse plus de buts. If I played sports, I would score more goals.
tu butasses Si tu t’entraines plus, tu butasses mieux. If you trained more, you would score better.
il butât Il serait content s’il butât plus souvent. He would be happy if he scored more often.
elle butât Elle serait fière si elle butât le but gagnant. She would be proud if she scored the winning goal.
on butât Si on butât à chaque match, on serait champions. If one scored at every game, one would be champions.
nous butassions Si nous butassions ensemble, nous gagnerions. If we scored together, we would win.
vous butassiez Si vous butassiez plus vite, vous seriez plus efficaces. If you scored faster, you would be more efficient.
ils butassent S’ils butassent plus précisément, ils marqueraient plus. If they scored more accurately, they would score more.
elles butassent Si elles butassent toutes les occasions, elles seraient imbattables. If they scored every opportunity, they would be unbeatable.

Other Conjugations for Buter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb buter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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