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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caver

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of caver. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb caver is “to cave in” or “to give in.” It is pronounced as “ka-ve” in its infinitive form.

Caver comes from the Latin word “cavare” meaning “to dig” or “to hollow out.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a possibility, doubt, or wish. This tense is formed by using the present tense subjunctive form of the verb “avoir” or “être” + the past participle of the verb.

Here are three simple examples of caver used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Il faut que tu caves devant les exigences de ton patron. (You need to cave in to your boss’s demands.)
  2. Je préférais que tu ne caves pas et que tu continues à te battre. (I would prefer if you didn’t give in and kept fighting.)
  3. Je ne crois pas qu’ils aient cédé, je pense qu’ils ont cédé. (I don’t believe they gave in, I think they caved in.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cavasse Si j’avais plus d’argent, je cavasse encore. If I had more money, I would dig even more.
tu cavasses Si tu étais plus courageux, tu cavasses mieux. If you were braver, you would dig better.
il cavât Il serait plus fort s’il cavât plus longtemps. He would be stronger if he dug longer.
elle cavât Elle serait plus fière si elle cavât plus profondément. She would be prouder if she dug deeper.
on cavât Si on cavât plus vite, on trouverait plus de trésors. If one dug faster, one would find more treasures.
nous cavassions Si nous cavassions en équipe, nous serions plus efficaces. If we dug as a team, we would be more efficient.
vous cavassiez Si vous cavassiez moins, vous auriez plus de temps pour autre chose. If you dug less, you would have more time for something else.
ils cavassent S’ils avaient plus de ressources, ils cavassent plus souvent. If they had more resources, they would dig more often.
elles cavassent Si elles cavassent avec des outils, elles trouveraient plus de trésors. If they dug with tools, they would find more treasures.

Other Conjugations for Caver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the caver Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply