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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb calculer

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The English translation of the French verb calculer is “to calculate.” It is pronounced “kahl-kew-leh.”

The verb calculer comes from the Latin word “calculare” which means “to count” or “to calculate.” It is most often used in everyday French to express mathematical calculations or to indicate a careful consideration or estimation of something.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, the verb calculer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or state in the past. It is formed by adding the endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient to the stem “calcul-“.

Three examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je calculasse le montant des dépenses avant de partir en voyage. (I had to calculate the amount of expenses before leaving on the trip.)
  2. Nous souhaitions que vous calculiez les dimensions de la pièce avant d’acheter le meuble. (We wanted you to calculate the dimensions of the room before buying the furniture.)
  3. Ils étaient inquiets que tu ne calculasses pas bien tes notes de fin d’année. (They were worried that you were not calculating your end-of-year grades correctly.)

English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je calculasse… – I had to calculate…
  2. Nous souhaitions que vous calculiez… – We wanted you to calculate…
  3. Ils étaient inquiets que tu ne calculasses pas… – They were worried that you were not calculating…

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je calculasse Je serais plus efficace si je calculasse mieux. I would be more efficient if I calculated better.
tu calculasses Si tu finissais tes devoirs, tu calculasses les taxes. If you finished your homework, you would calculate the taxes.
il calculât Il serait content si il calculât les dépenses correctement. He would be happy if he calculated the expenses correctly.
elle calculât Elle serait surprise si elle calculât exactement. She would be surprised if she calculated accurately.
on calculât Si on calculât plus vite, on économiserait du temps. If one calculated faster, one would save time.
nous calculassions Si nous calculassions ensemble, nous trouverions la réponse. If we calculated together, we would find the solution.
vous calculassiez Si vous calculassiez moins, vous feriez plus d’erreurs. If you calculated less, you would make more mistakes.
ils calculassent S’ils calculassent mieux, ils gagneraient plus d’argent. If they calculated better, they would earn more money.
elles calculassent Si elles calculassent ensemble, elles auraient raison. If they calculated together, they would be right.

Other Conjugations for Calculer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calculer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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