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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chambouler

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The English translation of the French verb chambouler is “to disrupt” or “to upset”. It is pronounced as [sham-boo-ley] in the infinitive form.

Chambouler comes from the Old French word “camboler” which means “to jostle” or “to tumble”. It can also be traced back to the Latin word “cambutlus” which means “crooked” or “unsteady”. In everyday French, chambouler is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three examples of chambouler used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Si je pouvais, j’aurais chamboulé toute la salle de réunion avec ma présentation. (If I could, I would have disrupted the whole conference room with my presentation.)

  2. Il fallait que tu chamboules tout juste avant mon mariage. (You had to disrupt everything right before my wedding.)

  3. Nous aurions été moins stressés si tu ne nous avais pas chamboulés avec cette nouvelle. (We would have been less stressed if you hadn’t upset us with this news.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je chamboulasse Je ne serais pas inquiète si je chamboulasse le plan. I wouldn’t be worried if I messed up the plan.
tu chamboulasses Si tu prenais plus de risques, tu chamboulasses tout. If you took more risks, you would mess everything up.
il chamboulât Il serait déçu si il chamboulât le projet. He would be disappointed if he messed up the project.
elle chamboulât Elle se sentirait mieux si elle chamboulât ses habitudes. She would feel better if she messed up her routines.
on chamboulât Il serait temps qu’on chamboulât nos coutumes. It’s time for us to mess up our customs.
nous chamboulassions Si nous chamboulassions souvent, nous apprendrions plus. If we messed up often, we would learn more.
vous chamboulassiez Si vous ne chamboulassiez pas tout, vous n’auriez pas de surprises. If you didn’t mess everything up, you wouldn’t have any surprises.
ils chamboulassent S’ils chamboulassent moins, ils réussiraient mieux. If they messed up less, they would succeed better.
elles chamboulassent Si elles n’avaient pas chamboulé les plans, tout se serait bien passé. If they hadn’t messed up the plans, everything would have gone well.

Other Conjugations for Chambouler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chambouler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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