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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb camper

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The English translation of the French verb camper is “to camp.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “kam-peh.”

The language origin of camper can be traced back to the Latin word “campare,” meaning “to encamp.” In everyday French, camper is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Il fallait que je campasse près du lac. (It was necessary for me to camp near the lake.)

  2. J’aimais qu’elle campât avec moi en montagne. (I liked for her to camp with me in the mountains.)

  3. Nous avions peur qu’il ne campât seul dans la forêt. (We were afraid that he was camping alone in the forest.)

English Translation:

  1. It was necessary for me to camp near the lake.

  2. I liked for her to camp with me in the mountains.

  3. We were afraid that he was camping alone in the forest.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je campasse Si j’avais plus de temps, je campasse plus souvent. If I had more time, I would go camping more often.
tu campasses Si tu faisais moins de bruit, tu campasses plus longtemps. If you made less noise, you would camp longer.
il campât Il serait heureux si il campât dans la nature. He would be happy if he camped in nature.
elle campât Elle serait contente si elle campât avec ses amis. She would be happy if she camped with her friends.
on campât Si on campât dans les montagnes, on serait plus proche de la nature. If one camped in the mountains, one would be closer to nature.
nous campassions Si nous campassions ensemble, nous créerions des souvenirs. If we camped together, we would create memories.
vous campassiez Si vous campassiez près de l’eau, vous pourriez pêcher. If you camped near water, you could fish.
ils campassent S’ils campassent dans la forêt, ils verraient beaucoup d’animaux. If they camped in the forest, they would see many animals.
elles campassent Si elles campassent en famille, elles s’amuseraient beaucoup. If they camped as a family, they would have a lot of fun.

Other Conjugations for Camper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb camper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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