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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb causer

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The English translation of the French verb causer is “to cause” or “to talk”. The infinitive form is pronounced “koh-zay”.

The word causer comes from the Latin word “causare” which means “to cause or to argue”. In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a literary or formal tense used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are 3 examples of how causer is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Si je n’avais pas été là pour te distraire, tu aurais pu causer une catastrophe. (If I hadn’t been there to distract you, you could have caused a disaster.)

  2. Il était important que tu ne causes pas de problèmes lors de la réunion familiale. (It was important that you didn’t cause any problems during the family reunion.)

  3. Nous aurions dû faire attention à nos paroles pour éviter de causer du tort à autrui. (We should have been careful with our words to avoid causing harm to others.)

In all of these examples, the verb causer is conjugated in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in formal or literary contexts, and its usage can convey a sense of caution or responsibility in the actions of the subject.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je causasse Si j’étais riche, je causasse plus avec mes amis. If I were rich, I would talk more with my friends.
tu causasses Si tu étudies plus, tu causasses plus intelligemment. If you studied more, you would talk more intelligently.
il causât Il serait content si il causât avec plus de confiance. He would be happy if he talked more confidently.
elle causât Elle serait surprise si elle causât avec plus de gens. She would be surprised if she talked with more people.
on causât Si on causât moins, on se comprendrait mieux. If one talked less, one would understand each other better.
nous causassions Si nous causassions plus souvent, nous nous rapprocherions. If we talked more often, we would become closer.
vous causassiez Si vous causassiez moins, vous seriez moins fatigué. If you talked less, you would be less tired.
ils causassent S’ils causassent plus, ils se disputeraient moins. If they talked more, they would argue less.
elles causassent Si elles causassent ensemble, elles apprendraient beaucoup. If they talked together, they would learn a lot.

Other Conjugations for Causer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb causer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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