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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cannibaliser

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The English translation of the French verb cannibaliser is “to cannibalize.” It is pronounced as “kah-nee-bah-lee-zay.”

The language origin of cannibaliser can be traced back to the word “cannibal,” which comes from the Spanish word “caníbal,” meaning “a savage person.” The suffix “-iser” is added to turn it into a verb, meaning “to make like a cannibal” or “to consume or destroy in a savage manner.”

In everyday French, the verb cannibaliser 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 sentences that express a wish, a doubt, or an emotion.

Three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu cannibalises ta propre entreprise. (I wished that you would cannibalize your own company.)

  2. Il doutait que nous cannibalisions nos concurrents. (He doubted that we were cannibalizing our competitors.)

  3. Elle était triste que le temps cannibalisât ses souvenirs. (She was sad that time was cannibalizing her memories.)

English translations:

  1. I wished that you would cannibalize your own company.

  2. He doubted that we were cannibalizing our competitors.

  3. She was sad that time was cannibalizing her memories.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cannibalisasse Si je n’avais pas d’autre choix, je cannibalisasse mon propre travail. If I had no other choice, I would cannibalize my own work.
tu cannibalisasses Si tu n’étais pas aussi avare, tu cannibalisasses moins de projets. If you weren’t so greedy, you would cannibalize fewer projects.
il cannibalisât Il serait choqué si il cannibalisât le projet de son ami. He would be shocked if he cannibalized his friend’s project.
elle cannibalisât Elle serait effrayée si elle cannibalisât sa propre entreprise. She would be scared if she cannibalized her own business.
on cannibalisât Si on cannibalisât trop, on se détruirait. If one cannibalized too much, one would destroy oneself.
nous cannibalisassions Si nous cannibalisassions notre propre équipe, on n’irait nulle part. If we cannibalized our own team, we’d get nowhere.
vous cannibalisassiez Si vous cannibalisassiez moins de ressources, vous auriez plus de succès. If you cannibalized fewer resources, you would have more success.
ils cannibalisassent S’ils cannibalisassent leur propre travail, ils perdraient leur crédibilité. If they cannibalized their own work, they would lose their credibility.
elles cannibalisassent Si elles cannibalisassent un autre projet, ça serait dommageable. If they cannibalized another project, it would be damaging.

Other Conjugations for Cannibaliser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cannibaliser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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