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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb câbler

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The English translation of the French verb câbler is “to wire” or “to cable.” It is pronounced as “kah-bler” in its infinitive form.

The word câbler comes from the noun câble which means “cable,” and the suffix -er which is used to form infinitive verbs in French. It originated from the Old French word cable, which in turn came from the Latin word capulum meaning “lasso” or “rope.”

In everyday French, câbler is commonly used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is the past tense of the subjunctive mood. This tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place in the past.

Here are three examples of câbler used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je câblasse l’argent avant ce soir. (It was necessary for me to wire the money before tonight.)
  2. J’aurais préféré que vous câblassiez les instructions plus tôt. (I would have preferred if you had wired the instructions earlier.)
  3. Il voulait que nous câblassions tous les documents avant de partir en vacances. (He wanted us to wire all the documents before going on vacation.)

In all of these examples, câbler is used to express an action that was desired or necessary, but its completion was not certain. In English, this tense is often translated as “had to” or “would have liked to.”

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je câblasse Si j’avais le temps, je câblasse la maison. If I had the time, I would wire the house.
tu câblasses Si tu câblasses plus vite, on serait déjà parti. If you wired faster, we would have already left.
il câblât Si il câblât mieux, on n’aurait pas de problèmes. If he wired better, we would not have any problems.
elle câblât Si elle câblât soigneusement, le système pourrait durer plus longtemps. If she wired carefully, the system could last longer.
on câblât Si on câblât correctement, on n’aurait pas d’incidents. If one wired correctly, we wouldn’t have any incidents.
nous câblassions Si nous câblassions ensemble, ça serait plus efficace. If we wired together, it would be more efficient.
vous câblassiez Si vous câblassiez correctement, on aurait moins de problèmes. If you wired correctly, we would have fewer problems.
ils câblassent Si ils câblassent sans erreur, on pourrait finir plus rapidement. If they wired without errors, we could finish faster.
elles câblassent Si elles câblassent avec précision, le système serait plus fiable. If they wired accurately, the system would be more reliable.

Other Conjugations for Câbler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb câbler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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