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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb catastropher

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The English translation of the French verb catastropher is “to catastrophize.” It is pronounced as [ka-tas-tro-fay].

The word catastropher comes from the French noun “catastrophe,” which in turn has its roots in the Greek words katastrophē, meaning “overturning” or “ruin,” and pherein, meaning “to carry.” In everyday French, catastropher is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain situation. It is used to convey a sense of fear or anxiety about a potential negative outcome.

Here are three examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Il craignait que sa mère ne catastrophât à l’idée de le voir partir en voyage. (He feared that his mother would catastrophize at the thought of him going on a trip.)

  2. Nous avions peur que le temps ne se catastrophât et gâche notre journée à la plage. (We were afraid that the weather would catastrophize and ruin our day at the beach.)

  3. Je préférerais que tu ne catastrophes pas avant même d’avoir essayé. (I would prefer that you don’t catastrophize before even trying.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je catastrophasse Si j’avais peur, je catastrophasse facilement. If I were scared, I would easily catastrophise.
tu catastrophasses Si tu étais plus positif, tu catastrophasses moins. If you were more positive, you would catastrophise less.
il catastrophât Il serait inquiet s’il catastrophât toutes les situations. He would be worried if he catastrophised every situation.
elle catastrophât Elle serait triste si elle catastrophât souvent. She would be sad if she catastrophised often.
on catastrophât Si on catastrophât moins, on serait plus calme. If one catastrophised less, one would be more calm.
nous catastrophassions Si nous catastrophassions ensemble, nous serions plus forts. If we catastrophised together, we would be stronger.
vous catastrophassiez Si vous catastrophassiez trop, vous ne trouveriez pas de solution. If you catastrophised too much, you wouldn’t find a solution.
ils catastrophassent S’ils catastrophassent ensemble, ça serait pire. If they catastrophised together, it would be worse.
elles catastrophassent Si elles catastrophassent moins, elles s’amuseraient plus. If they catastrophised less, they would have more fun.

Other Conjugations for Catastropher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catastropher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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