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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cacarder

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The English translation of the French verb cacarder is “to cackle” or “to cluck.” The infinitive form, cacarder, is pronounced as “kah-kahr-dey.”

The word cacarder comes from the onomatopoeic word “craque,” which imitates the sound of a hen’s clucking or cackling. It is most commonly used in everyday French to describe the sound that a hen makes, or as a colloquial term for someone who talks a lot, especially in a loud, gossipy manner.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, cacarder is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the conjunction “que” to introduce a dependent clause. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que tu cacardasses toute la soirée. (You had to cackle all evening.)
  2. Je voulais qu’elle arrête de cacarder sans arrêt. (I wanted her to stop clucking incessantly.)
  3. Ils auraient préféré que les invités ne cacardent pas pendant le dîner. (They would have preferred that the guests not cackle during dinner.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cacardasse Si je pensais ça, je cacardasse toute la journée. If I thought that, I would chatter all day.
tu cacardasses Si tu avais une poule, tu cacardasses sans arrêt. If you had a chicken, you would cackle non-stop.
il cacardât Il me semblait qu’il cacardât de son succès. It seemed to me that he was bragging about his success.
elle cacardât Elle serait ravie si elle cacardât devant sa famille. She would be delighted if she boasted in front of her family.
on cacardât Si on cacardât moins, on entendrait mieux le silence. If one didn’t cackle as much, one would hear the silence better.
nous cacardassions Si nous cacardassions comme des canards, on nous entendrait de loin. If we cackled like ducks, we would be heard from far away.
vous cacardassiez Si vous cacardassiez plus fort, vous réveilleriez le voisinage. If you cackled louder, you would wake up the neighborhood.
ils cacardassent Si ils cacardassent ensemble, ce serait un vacarme. If they cackled together, it would be a racket.
elles cacardassent Si elles cacardassent tous les jours, elles seraient connues dans le quartier. If they cackled every day, they would be known in the neighborhood.

Other Conjugations for Cacarder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cacarder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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