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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chariboter

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The English translation of the French verb chariboter is “to nitpick” or “to quibble.” The infinitive form is pronounced “shar-ee-boh-tay.”

The word chariboter comes from the French verb charier, which means “to tease” or “to joke.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express uncertainty, doubt, or hypothetical situations.

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

  1. Il fallait que je charibote sur chaque détail du projet. (I had to nitpick about every detail of the project.)
  2. Elle n’aimait pas que je la charibote sur son apparence. (She didn’t like it when I quibbled about her appearance.)
  3. Nous aurions préféré que tu ne charibotes pas avec nos sentiments. (We would have preferred if you didn’t mess with our feelings.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je charibotasse Je serais déçu si je charibotasse toute la soirée. I would be disappointed if I played around all evening.
tu charibotasses Si tu restais à la maison, tu charibotasses sans doute. If you stayed at home, you would likely mess around.
il charibotât Il serait furieux si il charibotât avec ses jouets. He would be furious if he messed around with his toys.
elle charibotât Elle serait surprise si elle charibotât avec les cravates de son père. She would be surprised if she played around with her father’s ties.
on charibotât Si on charibotât moins, on gagnerait plus de temps. If one messed around less, one would save more time.
nous charibotassions Si nous charibotassions en classe, nous aurions de mauvais résultats. If we messed around in class, we would have bad grades.
vous charibotassiez Si vous charibotassiez moins, vous pourriez avancer plus vite. If you messed around less, you could make progress more quickly.
ils charibotassent S’ils charibotassent ensemble, ils pourraient se blesser. If they messed around together, they could get hurt.
elles charibotassent Si elles charibotassent toute la nuit, elles seraient fatiguées demain. If they messed around all night, they would be tired tomorrow.

Other Conjugations for Chariboter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chariboter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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