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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb canarder

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The English translation of the French verb canarder is “to bombard” or “to shell”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “kah-nahr-dey”.

The word canarder comes from the Old French word “canard” meaning “duck”, and was originally used to describe the action of throwing rocks or sticks at ducks to hunt them. Over time, it evolved to also mean the act of throwing projectiles or bombs.

In everyday French, canarder is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in combination with the verb “pouvoir” (to be able to) or “devoir” (to have to).

  1. Je craignais qu’ils ne canardassent ma maison pendant que j’étais en vacances. (I was afraid they would bombard my house while I was on vacation.)
  2. Il nous a dit qu’il souhaitait que nous puissions canarder leur position avant la nuit. (He told us he wished we could shell their position before nightfall.)
  3. Mes parents craignaient que je ne doive canarder mes études pour trouver un emploi. (My parents were afraid I would have to bomb my studies in order to find a job.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je canardasse J’aimerais que je canardasse plus facilement. I wish I could duck more easily.
tu canardasses Pourquoi est-ce que tu ne canardasses pas plus souvent ? Why don’t you duck more often?
il canardât Je me demande s’il canardât mieux qu’avant. I wonder if he ducks better than before.
elle canardât Même si elle canardât parfaitement, elle n’éviterait pas le coup. Even if she ducked perfectly, she would still get hit.
on canardât Il est important qu’on canardât rapidement en cas de besoin. It’s important that one ducks quickly if necessary.
nous canardassions Si nous canardassions plus fort, on nous entendrait mieux. If we ducked louder, we would be heard better.
vous canardassiez Il faudrait que vous canardassiez plus souvent pour vous améliorer. You should duck more often to improve.
ils canardassent Même s’ils canardassent mieux que moi, je suis plus rapide. Even if they duck better than me, I am faster.
elles canardassent Elles auraient gagné si elles canardassent plus efficacement. They would have won if they had ducked more effectively.

Other Conjugations for Canarder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canarder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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