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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cantonner

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The English translation of the French verb cantonner is “to quarter” or “to station.” It is pronounced as “kan-ton-ay” in its infinitive form.

Cantonner comes from the Old French word “canton” which means “corner” or “district.” It is most commonly used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense in everyday French.

Three examples of cantonner in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Je souhaitais que nous cantonnions dans un hôtel près de la plage.
    Translation: I wished for us to be quartered in a hotel near the beach.

  2. Il fallait que les soldats cantonnent dans la ville avant la bataille.
    Translation: The soldiers had to be quartered in the town before the battle.

  3. Elle préférait que nous cantonnions chez sa tante plutôt que dans un hôtel impersonnel.
    Translation: She preferred for us to be quartered at her aunt’s house rather than in an impersonal hotel.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cantonnasse Si j’avais le temps, je cantonnasse sur la plage. If I had time, I would be stationed on the beach.
tu cantonnasses Si tu étais militaire, tu cantonnasses près de la frontière. If you were a soldier, you would be stationed near the border.
il cantonnât Il aurait aimé que je cantonnât dans son entreprise. He would have liked for me to be stationed at his company.
elle cantonnât Elle préférerait que tu cantonnât dans cette région. She would prefer for you to be stationed in this region.
on cantonnât Si on cantonnât ensemble, on pourrait mieux se connaître. If we were stationed together, we could get to know each other better.
nous cantonnassions Si nous cantonnassions là-bas, nous aurions une belle vue. If we were stationed there, we would have a beautiful view.
vous cantonnassiez Si vous cantonnassiez dans cette ville, vous auriez beaucoup à explorer. If you were stationed in this city, you would have a lot to explore.
ils cantonnassent S’ils cantonnassent plus souvent, ils auraient une meilleure organisation. If they were stationed more often, they would have better organization.
elles cantonnassent Si elles cantonnassent dans une caserne, elles auraient des horaires réguliers. If they were stationed in a barracks, they would have regular schedules.

Other Conjugations for Cantonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cantonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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