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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cahoter

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The English translation of the French verb cahoter is “to jolt” or “to bump”. It is pronounced as “kah-oh-tay”.

The origin of the word cahoter comes from the Old French word “cahoute” which means “rough or uneven motion”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a past tense used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are 3 examples of cahoter used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je cahotasse dans les rues pour trouver la bonne adresse. (I had to jolt through the streets to find the right address.)
  2. Nous n’étions pas sûrs que le train cahotât autant pendant le voyage. (We weren’t sure if the train would jostle so much during the trip.)
  3. Elle craignait que sa voiture ne cahotât sur la route en mauvais état. (She was afraid her car would bump on the bumpy road.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cahotasse Si je cahotasse, je serais malade. If I were to experience rough motion, I would get sick.
tu cahotasses Si tu n’avais pas de lunettes, tu cahotasses beaucoup. If you didn’t have glasses, you would stumble a lot.
il cahotât Il serait surpris si il cahotât en voiture. He would be surprised if he experienced turbulence in the car.
elle cahotât Elle se sentirait mieux si elle cahotât moins. She would feel better if she experienced less jolting.
on cahotât Si on cahotât moins, ça serait plus confortable. If one experienced less jolting, it would be more comfortable.
nous cahotassions Si nous cahotassions ensemble, ça serait moins fatigant. If we experienced jolting together, it would be less tiring.
vous cahotassiez Si vous cahotassiez moins, vous auriez moins mal à la tête. If you experienced less jolting, you would have less of a headache.
ils cahotassent S’ils ne cahotassent pas autant, ils pourraient conduire plus vite. If they didn’t experience as much jolting, they could drive faster.
elles cahotassent Si elles cahotassent toutes les deux, elles se tiendraient la main. If they both experienced jolting, they would hold hands.

Other Conjugations for Cahoter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cahoter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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