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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb butiner

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The English translation of the French verb butiner is “to forage” or “to gather nectar.” It is pronounced as “buh-tee-nay” in the infinitive form.

Butiner comes from the Old French word “butin” which means “booty” or “plunder.” It originated from the Latin word “booty” or “spoils” and was first used in the 11th century.

In everyday French, butiner is most often used in the subjonctif imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or state in the past. It is commonly used after conjunctions like “si” (if), “pour que” (so that), and “afin que” (in order that).

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the subjonctif imparfait tense and their English translations:

  1. Si j’étais une abeille, je butinerais du nectar toute la journée. (If I were a bee, I would gather nectar all day long.)

  2. Nous voulions que les enfants butinent dans le jardin pour observer les insectes. (We wanted the children to forage in the garden to observe insects.)

  3. Il fallait que nous butinions dans les bois pour trouver des champignons. (We had to gather in the woods to find mushrooms.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je butinasse Si j’étais un abeille, je butinasse toutes les fleurs. If I were a bee, I would gather nectar from all the flowers.
tu butinasses Si tu savais où chercher, tu butinasses plus de miel. If you knew where to look, you would gather more honey.
il butinât Il serait content si il butinât efficacement. He would be happy if he gathered efficiently.
elle butinât Elle serait surprise si elle butinât autant. She would be surprised if she gathered as much.
on butinât Si on butinât plus tôt, on récolterait plus. If one gathered earlier, one would harvest more.
nous butinassions Si nous butinassions ensemble, nous trouverions plus de fleurs. If we gathered together, we would find more flowers.
vous butinassiez Si vous butinassiez plus longtemps, vous auriez plus de miel. If you gathered for a longer time, you would have more honey.
ils butinassent S’ils butinassent ensemble, ils seraient plus productifs. If they gathered together, they would be more productive.
elles butinassent Si elles butinassent seules, elles trouveraient moins de nectar. If they gathered alone, they would find less nectar.

Other Conjugations for Butiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb butiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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