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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cabaner

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The English translation of the French verb cabaner is “to camp” or “to set up a camp”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “kah-bah-nay”.

Cabaner comes from the Old French word “cabane”, meaning “hut” or “shelter”. It is most often 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 how cabaner is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Si nous cabanions dans la forêt, nous aurions pu voir des animaux sauvages. (If we were camping in the forest, we might have seen some wild animals.)

  2. Il fallait que je cabane près de la rivière pour pouvoir pêcher. (I had to camp near the river in order to go fishing.)

  3. Nous aurions aimé que vous cabaniez avec nous ce weekend. (We would have liked for you to camp with us this weekend.)

In these examples, we can see that cabaner is used to describe a hypothetical or uncertain action or situation in the past. It is often used to talk about camping or setting up a campsite, but can also be used in a more general sense to express the idea of “setting up” or “establishing” something.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cabanasse Si j’avais un cabanon, je cabanasse dans la nature. If I had a cabin, I would camp in nature.
tu cabanasses Si tu avais le temps, tu cabanasses avec tes amis. If you had the time, you would camp with your friends.
il cabanât Il serait heureux si il cabanât près du lac. He would be happy if he camped by the lake.
elle cabanât Elle serait contente si elle cabanât en montagne. She would be happy if she camped in the mountains.
on cabanât Si on cabanât dans les bois, on se reposerait bien. If one camped in the woods, one would rest well.
nous cabanassions Si nous cabanassions ensemble, ça serait amusant. If we camped together, it would be fun.
vous cabanassiez Si vous cabanassiez en famille, vous passeriez un bon temps. If you camped with your family, you would have a good time.
ils cabanassent S’ils cabanassent dans les montagnes, ils verraient de beaux paysages. If they camped in the mountains, they would see beautiful landscapes.
elles cabanassent Si elles cabanassent sur la plage, elles seraient bronzées. If they camped on the beach, they would be tanned.

Other Conjugations for Cabaner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cabaner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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