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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caboter

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The English translation of the French verb caboter is “to coast” or “to sail along the coast.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ka-boh-tay.”

The language origin of caboter can be traced back to the word “cabotage” which has its roots in the Middle Dutch word “cabot” meaning “ship,” and the suffix “-age” which denotes an action or process. In French, cabotage originally referred to the transport of goods by ship along the coast, but it eventually came to mean sailing along the coast in general. In everyday French, caboter is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or state in the past.

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que nous cabotions le long de la côte pour éviter la tempête. (We had to sail along the coast to avoid the storm.)

  2. Je cherchais un endroit tranquille où nous puissions caboter en paix. (I was looking for a quiet place where we could sail along the coast in peace.)

  3. Il était possible que les pirates nous attaquent pendant que nous cabotions. (It was possible that the pirates would attack us while we were sailing along the coast.)

English translations:

  1. We had to coast along the coast to avoid the storm.
  2. I was looking for a quiet place where we could sail along the coast in peace.
  3. It was possible that the pirates would attack us while we were sailing along the coast.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cabotasse Si j’étais pêcheur, je cabotasse tous les jours. If I were a fisherman, I would sail every day.
tu cabotasses Si tu venais avec moi, tu cabotasses sur mon bateau. If you came with me, you would sail on my boat.
il cabotât Il serait content si il cabotât vers les îles. He would be happy if he sailed towards the islands.
elle cabotât Elle serait surprise si elle cabotât seul. She would be surprised if she sailed alone.
on cabotât Si on cabotât sans but, on se perdrait en mer. If one sailed aimlessly, one would get lost at sea.
nous cabotassions Si nous cabotassions ensemble, nous découvririons de nouveaux endroits. If we sailed together, we would discover new places.
vous cabotassiez Si vous cabotassiez plus souvent, vous auriez plus d’expérience. If you sailed more often, you would have more experience.
ils cabotassent S’ils cabotassent à la voile, ils seraient plus écologiques. If they sailed with a sail, they would be more environmentally friendly.
elles cabotassent Si elles cabotassent avec moi, elles apprendraient à naviguer. If they sailed with me, they would learn how to navigate.

Other Conjugations for Caboter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caboter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Caboter – 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.

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