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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caner

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The English translation of the French verb caner is “to die” or “to pass away”. The infinitive form of caner is pronounced /ka.ne/.

Caner comes from the Latin word “canere” which means “to sing”. In Old French, it was used to refer to the death of an animal or a person. Over time, it became more commonly associated with death in general.

In everyday French, caner is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or state of being. It is typically used in conjunction with a conditional or in an “if…then” construction.

Here are three examples of caner used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Si j’étais riche, je ne canerais jamais. (If I were rich, I would never die.)
  2. Il avait peur que son grand-père ne canât avant de le revoir. (He was afraid that his grandfather would die before he could see him again.)
  3. Nous aurions aimé qu’elle ne canât pas aussi jeune. (We would have liked for her not to have died so young.)

English translations:

  1. If I were rich, I would never die.
  2. He was afraid that his grandfather would die before he could see him again.
  3. We would have liked for her not to have died so young.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je canasse Si je pouvais, je canasse toute la journée. If I could, I would lie around all day.
tu canasses Si tu te reposais plus, tu canasses plus longtemps. If you rested more, you would lie around longer.
il canât Il aimerait bien si il canât plus souvent. He would like it if he could lie around more often.
elle canât Elle serait heureuse si elle canât plus souvent. She would be happy if she could lie around more often.
on canât Si on canât ici, on peut aller au parc. If we lie around here, we can go to the park.
nous canassions Si nous canassions ensemble, on se reposerait. If we lay around together, we would rest.
vous canassiez Si vous canassiez moins, vous auriez plus d’énergie. If you lay around less, you would have more energy.
ils canassent S’ils pouvaient, ils canassent toute la journée. If they could, they would lie around all day.
elles canassent Si elles arrêtaient de travailler, elles canassent toute la journée. If they stopped working, they would lie around all day.

Other Conjugations for Caner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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