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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cabosser

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The English translation of the French verb cabosser is “to dent” or “to damage.” The infinitive form is pronounced “kah-baw-say.”

The word “cabosser” comes from the Old French word “caboce,” meaning “head” or “boss.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples of cabosser in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je cabosse la voiture en rentrant dans le garage.
    (Translation: I had to dent the car while pulling into the garage.)

  2. J’avais peur que tu cabosses la porte en la fermant trop fort.
    (Translation: I was afraid that you would dent the door by closing it too hard.)

  3. Ils craignaient que le ballon cabosse la fenêtre.
    (Translation: They were afraid that the ball would damage the window.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cabossasse Si j’étais plus fort, je cabossasse moins de voitures. If I were stronger, I would dent less cars.
tu cabossasses Si tu cabossasses moins de vélos, tu en aurais plus. If you dented fewer bikes, you would have more.
il cabossât Il serait plus prudent s’il cabossât moins de murs. He would be safer if he dented fewer walls.
elle cabossât Elle serait plus heureuse si elle ne cabossât pas son téléphone. She would be happier if she didn’t dent her phone.
on cabossât Si on cabossât moins de voitures, on économiserait de l’argent. If one dented fewer cars, one would save money.
nous cabossassions Si nous cabossassions plus de voitures, nous ferions plus d’argent. If we dented more cars, we would make more money.
vous cabossassiez Si vous cabossassiez moins de portes, vous auriez moins d’accidents. If you dented fewer doors, you would have fewer accidents.
ils cabossassent S’ils cabossassent les voitures, ils seraient responsables. If they dented cars, they would be responsible.
elles cabossassent Si elles cabossassent le mur, elles devraient le réparer. If they dented the wall, they would have to repair it.

Other Conjugations for Cabosser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cabosser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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