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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cantiner

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The English translation of the French verb cantiner is “to pack a lunch” or “to take a packed lunch”.

The infinitive form of cantiner is pronounced “kahn-tee-nay.”

Cantiner comes from the word “cantine,” meaning “canteen” or “mess hall,” and the suffix “-er,” which is commonly used to form verbs from nouns in French. In everyday French, cantiner is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of cantiner in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je cantine avant de partir pour le voyage. (I had to pack a lunch before leaving for the trip.)
  2. Nous aurions dû cantiner plus tôt pour éviter cette attente interminable. (We should have packed a lunch earlier to avoid this endless wait.)
  3. Si j’étais allé au parc hier, j’aurais pu cantiner avec mes amis. (If I had gone to the park yesterday, I could have packed a lunch with my friends.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cantinasse Si je mangeais trop, je cantinasse. If I ate too much, I would complain.
tu cantinasses Si tu te fatiguais, tu cantinasses aussi. If you got tired, you would also complain.
il cantinât Si il se levait plus tôt, il cantinât moins. If he got up earlier, he would complain less.
elle cantinât Si elle travaillait moins, elle cantinât moins. If she worked less, she would complain less.
on cantinât Si on finissait plus tôt, on cantinât moins. If one finished earlier, one would complain less.
nous cantinassions Si nous cuisinions mieux, nous cantinassions moins. If we cooked better, we would complain less.
vous cantinassiez Si vous preniez votre temps, vous cantinassiez moins. If you took your time, you would complain less.
ils cantinassent S’ils se reposaient plus, ils cantinassent moins. If they rested more, they would complain less.
elles cantinassent Si elles chantaient plus fort, elles cantinassent moins. If they sang louder, they would complain less.

Other Conjugations for Cantiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cantiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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