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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb catiner

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The English translation of the French verb catiner is “to sing like a cat”. The infinitive form, catiner, is pronounced as “ka-tee-nay”.

The word catiner originates from the French word “chat”, meaning cat, and the suffix “-iner”, which is used to form verbs and means “to imitate”. The verb catiner is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Some examples of using catiner in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Si j’étais un chat, je catinerais toute la nuit. (If I were a cat, I would sing like a cat all night long.)
  2. Il voulait que je catinasse pour lui. (He wanted me to sing like a cat for him.)
  3. Nous pensions que le chat catinait parce qu’il avait faim. (We thought the cat was singing like a cat because he was hungry.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je catinasse Si je gagnais à la loterie, je catinasse tout ce que je veux. If I won the lottery, I would splurge on whatever I want.
tu catinasses Si tu me prêtais de l’argent, je catinasses moins. If you lent me some money, I would spend less.
il catinât Il serait heureux si il ne catinât pas si souvent. He would be happy if he didn’t spend money so often.
elle catinât Elle serait choquée si elle me voyait catinât autant. She would be shocked if she saw me spending so much.
on catinât Si on catinât moins, on pourrait économiser plus d’argent. If one didn’t spend as much, one could save more money.
nous catinassions Si nous catinassions raisonnablement, nous pourrions épargner de l’argent. If we spent reasonably, we could save money.
vous catinassiez Si vous catinassiez avec ma soeur, je serais jaloux. If you spent time with my sister, I would be jealous.
ils catinassent S’ils catinassent plus prudemment, ils auraient plus d’argent. If they spent more carefully, they would have more money.
elles catinassent Si elles catinassent judicieusement, elles pourraient économiser pour les vacances. If they spent wisely, they could save money for vacation.

Other Conjugations for Catiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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