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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb calquer

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The English translation of the French verb calquer is “to copy/imitate.” It is pronounced as “kal-ke” in its infinitive form.

The word “calquer” comes from the Latin word “calcāre,” meaning “to trace or copy.” It first appeared in French language in the 16th century and has since been used in various contexts to refer to the act of copying or imitating something.

In everyday French, calquer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical action or possibility in the past. This tense is formed by using the present tense subjunctive of avoir or être and the imperfect tense of the verb.

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

  1. Il fallait que je calque mon travail sur celui de mes collègues.
    (He wanted me to copy my work from my colleagues.)
  2. Je voudrais que tu calques tes mouvements sur les miens.
    (I would like you to mirror my movements.)
  3. Il aurait fallu que nous calquions notre stratégie sur celle de nos concurrents.
    (We should have copied our strategy from our competitors.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je calquasse Il faut que je calquasse le dessin. I had to trace the drawing.
tu calquasses C’est important que tu calquasses les mesures. It’s important that you copied the measurements.
il calquât Si il s’entraînait plus, il calquât mieux son jeu. If he trained more, he would mimic his game better.
elle calquât Si elle calquât son style, elle trouverait plus de succès. If she copied her style, she would find more success.
on calquât Il faudrait que on calquât les instructions. We would need to copy the instructions.
nous calquassions Je suis contente que nous calquassions ensemble. I’m glad that we’re copying together.
vous calquassiez Si vous calquassiez plus doucement, vous obtiendriez de meilleurs résultats. If you copied more gently, you would get better results.
ils calquassent Si ils calquassent avec plus de précision, ça serait plus clair. If they copied with more precision, it would be clearer.
elles calquassent Il est possible que elles calquassent leurs créations. It’s possible that they copied their creations.

Other Conjugations for Calquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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