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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cafter

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of cafter. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb cafter is “to snitch” or “to tattle”. The infinitive form is pronounced as [kaftɛʁ].

The word cafter comes from the Old French word “cafter” which means “to betray” or “to accuse”. It is primarily used in colloquial or informal language and is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense. This tense is used to express actions or events that are uncertain or hypothetical in the past.

Examples of cafter in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je te caftasse à la police. (I had to tattle on you to the police.)
  2. Si tu caftais, je serais en prison maintenant. (If you had snitched, I would be in jail now.)
  3. Elle ne voulait pas que son frère la cafte à ses parents. (She didn’t want her brother to snitch on her to their parents.)

English translations:

  1. I had to tattle on you to the police.
  2. If you had snitched, I would be in jail now.
  3. She didn’t want her brother to snitch on her to their parents.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je caftasse Je préférerais que je caftasse pas. I would prefer not to tattle.
tu caftasses Si tu mentais, tu caftasses peut-être pas. If you lied, you might not tattle.
il caftât Il serait content si il caftât moins. He would be happy if he tattled less.
elle caftât Elle serait surprise si elle caftât si tôt. She would be surprised if she tattled so soon.
on caftât Si on caftât moins, on aurait moins de problèmes. If one tattled less, one would have fewer problems.
nous caftassions Que nous caftassions ou pas, on serait toujours amis. Whether we tattled or not, we would still be friends.
vous caftassiez Je ne voudrais pas que vous caftassiez à mon sujet. I wouldn’t want you to tattle about me.
ils caftassent S’ils caftassent, ça créerait des conflits. If they tattled, it would create conflicts.
elles caftassent Si elles caftassent ensemble, on s’en rendrait compte. If they tattled together, we would realize it.

Other Conjugations for Cafter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cafter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the cafter Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply