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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caoutchouter

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The English translation of the French verb caoutchouter is “to rubberize” or “to cover with rubber.” The infinitive form of caoutchouter is pronounced as “ko-shoo-teh.”

Caoutchouter comes from the French noun caoutchouc, which means “rubber.” It is derived from the Quechua word kawchu, meaning “rubber tree.” In everyday French, caoutchouter is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three examples of caoutchouter used in Subjonctif Imparfait:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu caoutchoutes la boîte avant de la fermer. (I wish you had rubberized the box before closing it.)

  2. Il fallait que nous caoutchoutions les semelles des chaussures pour qu’elles soient imperméables. (We had to rubberize the shoe soles so they would be waterproof.)

  3. Elle souhaitait que je caoutchoutais la balle avant de la lancer. (She wanted me to rubberize the ball before throwing it.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je caoutchoutasse Si j’étais riche, je caoutchoutasse plus d’objets. If I were rich, I would rubberize more objects.
tu caoutchoutasses Si tu avais plus de temps, tu caoutchoutasses plus de choses. If you had more time, you would rubberize more things.
il caoutchoutât Il serait satisfait si il caoutchoutât plus souvent. He would be satisfied if he rubberized more often.
elle caoutchoutât Elle serait fière si elle caoutchoutât bien. She would be proud if she rubberized well.
on caoutchoutât Si on caoutchoutât bien, on aurait moins de problèmes. If one rubberized well, there would be less problems.
nous caoutchoutassions Si nous caoutchoutassions ensemble, nous serions plus efficaces. If we rubberized together, we would be more efficient.
vous caoutchoutassiez Si vous caoutchoutassiez moins, vous gaspilleriez moins. If you rubberized less, you would waste less.
ils caoutchoutassent S’ils caoutchoutassent plus vite, ça irait plus rapidement. If they rubberized faster, it would go more quickly.
elles caoutchoutassent Si elles caoutchoutassent toutes ensemble, ce serait chaotique. If they rubberized all together, it would be chaotic.

Other Conjugations for Caoutchouter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caoutchouter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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