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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cancaner

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of cancaner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb cancaner is “to cackle/to gossip”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “kan-ka-ney”.

The origin of the word cancaner comes from the word “cancan”, which refers to a type of fast-paced and lively dance popular in France in the 19th century. The verb cancaner is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three examples of how cancaner can be used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Ils préféraient que tu ne cancanasses pas sur les autres. (They preferred that you didn’t cackle/gossip about others.)
  2. Je souhaitais qu’il ne cancanât pas sur mes erreurs. (I wished that he didn’t cackle/gossip about my mistakes.)
  3. Il fallait que nous ne cancanassions pas sur les affaires de nos voisins. (We had to not cackle/gossip about our neighbors’ affairs.)

In each of these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. The verb cancaner is conjugated to match the subject of the sentence and is used in the negative form to indicate that the action did not take place.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cancanasse Si j’étais un oiseau, je cancanasse dans les arbres. If I were a bird, I would chirp in the trees.
tu cancanasses Si tu as peur, tu cancanasses beaucoup plus. If you’re scared, you chirp a lot more.
il cancanât Il serait drôle si il cancanât toute la journée. It would be funny if he chirped all day.
elle cancanât Elle serait excédée si elle cancanât comme ça. She would be annoyed if she chirped like that.
on cancanât Si on cancanât moins, on s’entendrait mieux. If one chirped less, one would get along better.
nous cancanassions Si nous cancanassions ensemble, on rirait beaucoup. If we chirped together, we would laugh a lot.
vous cancanassiez Si vous cancanassiez plus fort, vous seriez entendus. If you chirped louder, you would be heard.
ils cancanassent S’ils cancanassent encore plus, ils se fâcheraient. If they chirped even more, they would get angry.
elles cancanassent Si elles cancanassent en même temps, ça serait cacophonique. If they chirped at the same time, it would be cacophonous.

Other Conjugations for Cancaner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cancaner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the cancaner Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply