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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chasser

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of chasser. 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 chasser is “to hunt” or “to chase.” It is pronounced as “sha-say” in its infinitive form.

The verb chasser comes from the Latin word “captiare,” meaning “to seize or capture.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a possibility, doubt, or wish in the past. It is also commonly used in literary and formal contexts.

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

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu chassasses avec moi hier. (I wish you had gone hunting with me yesterday.)
  2. Il fallait que nous chassassions tôt le matin pour avoir une chance de voir des animaux sauvages. (We had to go hunting early in the morning to have a chance of seeing wild animals.)
  3. Je doutais qu’ils chassassent si près du village. (I doubted that they were hunting so close to the village.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je chassasse Si je gagnais beaucoup d’argent, je chassasse plus souvent. If I earned a lot of money, I would hunt more often.
tu chassasses Si tu avais un meilleur fusil, tu chassasses plus de gibier. If you had a better gun, you would hunt more game.
il chassât Il serait heureux s’il chassât avec son père. He would be happy if he hunted with his father.
elle chassât Elle serait contente si elle chassât dans les montagnes. She would be happy if she hunted in the mountains.
on chassât Si on chassât en équipe, ça serait plus efficace. If one hunted as a team, it would be more efficient.
nous chassassions Si nous chassassions ensemble, nous aurions plus de plaisir. If we hunted together, we would have more fun.
vous chassassiez Si vous chassassiez dans cette région, vous verriez beaucoup d’animaux. If you hunted in this region, you would see a lot of animals.
ils chassassent S’ils chassassent en silence, ils attraperaient plus de proies. If they hunted quietly, they would catch more prey.
elles chassassent Si elles chassassent tôt le matin, elles auraient plus de chance. If they hunted early in the morning, they would have more luck.

Other Conjugations for Chasser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chasser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 chasser Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply