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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb canuler

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The English translation of the French verb canuler is “to bend” or “to curve.” It is pronounced as “kah-nuh-lay” in its infinitive form.

Canuler comes from the French word “canule,” which means “cane” or “tube.” It is a regular -er verb and is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three simple examples of canuler in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je canulasse la tige pour qu’elle rentre dans le trou. (I had to bend the stem so that it could fit into the hole.)

  2. Je voulais que tu canulasses le tuyau avant de le fixer au mur. (I wanted you to bend the pipe before attaching it to the wall.)

  3. Il était possible que nous canulassions le fil pour le faire passer sous le tapis. (It was possible that we would bend the wire to make it go under the carpet.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je canulasse Je doute que je canulasse bien. I doubt that I was able to insert the catheter correctly.
tu canulasses Si tu te concentrais, tu canulasses sans problème. If you focused, you would be able to insert the catheter without any problem.
il canulât Je suis surpris qu’il canulât aussi facilement. I am surprised that he was able to insert the catheter so easily.
elle canulât Elle avait peur qu’elle ne canulât pas correctement. She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to insert the catheter correctly.
on canulât Je préfère qu’on canulât d’abord avant de prendre une décision. I prefer that we insert the catheter first before making a decision.
nous canulassions Si nous canulassions plus tôt, nous pourrions rentrer chez nous plus vite. If we inserted the catheter earlier, we could go home faster.
vous canulassiez Je vous conseille d’éviter que vous ne canulassiez trop souvent. I advise you to avoid inserting the catheter too often.
ils canulassent Je ne suis pas certain qu’ils canulassent correctement. I’m not sure they were able to insert the catheter correctly.
elles canulassent Je doute qu’elles canulassent sans aide. I doubt that they were able to insert the catheter without assistance.

Other Conjugations for Canuler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canuler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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