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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cailleter

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The English translation of the French verb cailleter is “to cluck” or “to make a clucking noise”. It is pronounced “kai-yet-ay” in its infinitive form.

The word cailleter comes from the Old French word “cailler” which means “to curdle”. In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a verb tense used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is typically used after certain conjunctions and expressions, such as “il faut que” (it is necessary that) or “avant que” (before) and is often followed by the word “ne”.

Here are three simple examples of cailleter used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que tu caillettes pour que la poule vienne manger. (It was necessary for you to cluck for the hen to come and eat.)
  2. J’espérais que les poules cailletent avant que je parte. (I was hoping that the hens would cluck before I leave.)
  3. Il était important que les poussins caillettent pour que leur mère les nourrisse. (It was important for the chicks to cluck so that their mother would feed them.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cailletasse Si je gagnais à la loterie, je cailletasse partout. If I won the lottery, I would boast everywhere.
tu cailletasses Si tu avais plus d’argent, tu cailletasses plus. If you had more money, you would brag more.
il caillettât Il serait jaloux si il caillettât plus souvent. He would be jealous if he boasted more often.
elle caillettât Elle serait fière si elle caillettât plus fort. She would be proud if she boasted louder.
on caillettât Si on caillettât moins, on entendrait mieux. If one boasted less, one would hear better.
nous caillettassions Si nous caillettassions tous les jours, nous nous amuserions plus. If we boasted every day, we would have more fun.
vous caillettassiez Si vous caillettassiez plus, vous auriez plus d’amis. If you bragged more, you would have more friends.
ils caillettassent S’ils caillettassent plus souvent, ils seraient plus populaires. If they boasted more often, they would be more popular.
elles caillettassent Si elles caillettassent ensemble, elles feraient des jaloux. If they boasted together, they would make others jealous.

Other Conjugations for Cailleter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cailleter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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