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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb carburer

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The English translation of the French verb carburer is “to run on (something), to use (something) as fuel.” The infinitive form of carburer is pronounced “karby-ray.”

The word carburer comes from the Latin word “carbo” meaning “coal” and the suffix “-er” which is commonly used to form verbs in French. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Example 1: Nous ne pensions pas qu’il carbure à l’énergie solaire.
(We didn’t think he was running on solar energy.)
Example 2: Il fallait que le moteur carbure bien pour atteindre cette vitesse.
(The engine had to run well to reach that speed.)
Example 3: J’aurais préféré que tu carbures à l’essence plutôt qu’au diesel.
(I would have preferred you to use gasoline instead of diesel as fuel.)

In these examples, carburer is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. In the first example, the speaker didn’t know for sure if the person was using solar energy as fuel. In the second example, the speaker expresses the necessity for the engine to run well in order to reach a certain speed. In the third example, the speaker expresses a preference for the person to use a certain type of fuel.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je carburasse Si j’avais plus de temps, je carburasse mieux. If I had more time, I would work better.
tu carburasses Si tu savais comment carburer, tu réussirais mieux. If you knew how to work, you would do better.
il carburât Il serait plus rapide s’il carburât plus fort. He would be faster if he worked harder.
elle carburât Elle serait plus efficace si elle carburât plus longtemps. She would be more efficient if she worked longer.
on carburât Si on carburât plus souvent, on économiserait de l’essence. If one worked more often, one would save gasoline.
nous carburassions Si nous carburassions en équipe, on réussirait mieux. If we worked as a team, we would do better.
vous carburassiez Si vous carburassiez plus fort, vous arriveriez plus vite. If you worked harder, you would arrive faster.
ils carburassent S’ils carburaient moins, ils pollueraient moins. If they worked less, they would pollute less.
elles carburassent Si elles carburaient plus régulièrement, elles auraient moins de problèmes. If they worked more regularly, they would have less problems.

Other Conjugations for Carburer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb carburer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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