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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caraméliser

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The English translation of the French verb caraméliser is “to caramelize.” The infinitive form, caraméliser, is pronounced as “kah-rah-may-lee-zay.”

The language origin of caraméliser can be traced back to the Latin word “caramel,” which means “sugar” or “candy.” It was then borrowed into French with the same meaning and later evolved to refer to the process of browning sugar.

In everyday French, caraméliser is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the Imparfait tense and adding the past participle “caramélisé.”

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il fallait que tu caramélisasses les pommes pour la tarte. (It was necessary for you to caramelize the apples for the pie.)
  2. Je souhaitais que le chef caramélisât les oignons avant de les mettre dans la soupe. (I wished for the chef to caramelize the onions before putting them in the soup.)
  3. Elles auraient aimé que nous caramélisassions les noix pour la salade. (They would have liked for us to caramelize the nuts for the salad.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je caramélisasse J’aimerais que je caramélisasse tous les jours. I wish I caramelize every day.
tu caramélisasses Si tu caramélisasses plus, tu deviendrais un chef. If you caramelized more, you would become a chef.
il caramélisât Il serait content si il caramélisât bien. He would be happy if he caramelized well.
elle caramélisât Elle serait surprise si elle caramélisât le dessert. She would be surprised if she caramelized the dessert.
on caramélisât Si on caramélisât les oignons, ça serait délicieux. If one caramelized the onions, it would be delicious.
nous caramélisassions Si nous caramélisassions ensemble, ça serait amusant. If we caramelized together, it would be fun.
vous caramélisassiez Si vous caramélisassiez plus, vous auriez plus de ventes. If you caramelized more, you would have more sales.
ils caramélisassent S’ils caramélisassent plus vite, on terminerait plus tôt. If they caramelized faster, we would finish earlier.
elles caramélisassent Si elles caramélisassent tous les ingrédients, ça serait parfait. If they caramelized all the ingredients, it would be perfect.

Other Conjugations for Caraméliser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caraméliser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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