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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb butter

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The English translation of the French verb butter is “to spread butter” or “to butter.” It is pronounced “byoo-tay” in the infinitive form.

The word “butter” comes from the Old English word “butere,” which is derived from the Latin word “butyrum,” which in turn comes from the Greek word “boutyron.” The use of butter as a food dates back to ancient civilizations, with evidence of its production and consumption found in ancient Egypt and India.

In everyday French, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. In this tense, the verb “butter” is conjugated as “beurrasse” in the first and second person singular, “beurrasses” in the third person singular, and “beurrassions” in the first person plural.

Here are three simple examples of the usage of “butter” in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Je craignais qu’il ne beurrasse le pain avant de le mettre au four. (I was afraid he would spread butter on the bread before putting it in the oven.)
  2. Elle voulait que nous beurrassions les tartines avant de les servir. (She wanted us to spread butter on the toasts before serving them.)
  3. J’aimerais que tu ne beurrasses pas autant tes crêpes, elles sont déjà assez riches. (I wish you wouldn’t spread so much butter on your pancakes, they are already rich enough.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je beurrasse Si j’étais en France, je beurrasse souvent mon pain. If I were in France, I would often butter my bread.
tu beurrasses Si tu avais faim, tu beurrasses ton croissant. If you were hungry, you would butter your croissant.
il beurrât Il serait ravi si il beurrât plus de légumes. He would be delighted if he buttered more vegetables.
elle beurrât Elle serait contente si elle beurrât ses tartines. She would be happy if she buttered her toast.
on beurrât Si on beurrât moins, on mangerait moins gras. If one buttered less, one would eat less fat.
nous beurrassions Si nous beurrassions le pain, il serait plus savoureux. If we buttered the bread, it would be more tasty.
vous beurrassiez Si vous beurrassiez plus de crêpes, nous serions très heureux. If you buttered more crepes, we would be very happy.
ils beurrassent S’ils beurrassent tous les matins, ils auraient moins faim. If they buttered every morning, they would be less hungry.
elles beurrassent Si elles beurrassent leurs croissants, ils seraient dorés. If they buttered their croissants, they would be golden.

Other Conjugations for Butter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb butter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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