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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chavirer

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of chavirer. 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 chavirer is “to capsize” or “to overturn.” The infinitive form, chavirer, is pronounced as “shah-vee-reh.”

Chavirer comes from the Latin word “capitare,” meaning “to overturn.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

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

  1. Je craignais que le bateau ne chavirât en pleine tempête. (I feared that the boat would capsize in the middle of the storm.)

  2. Il était possible que le canoë chavirât à cause de la forte vague. (It was possible that the canoe would capsize due to the strong wave.)

  3. Elle avait peur que le navire chavirât à cause de la surcharge de passagers. (She was afraid that the ship would capsize due to the overload of passengers.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je chavirasse Il se peut que je chavirasse en eaux agitées. It’s possible that I would capsize in choppy waters.
tu chavirasses Si tu chavirasses, tu ne pourrais pas sauver la barque. If you capsized, you wouldn’t be able to save the boat.
il chavirât Il serait préférable qu’il chavirât sur le rivage. It would be better if he capsized on the shore.
elle chavirât Elle tremblait à l’idée qu’elle chavirât en mer. She trembled at the thought of capsizing at sea.
on chavirât Il est important qu’on chavirât avec un gilet de sauvetage. It’s important that one capsizes with a life jacket.
nous chavirassions Si nous chavirassions ensemble, ça serait dangereux. If we capsized together, it would be dangerous.
vous chavirassiez Si vous chavirassiez, vous pourriez vous blesser. If you capsized, you could hurt yourself.
ils chavirassent S’ils chavirassent, ils devraient appeler à l’aide. If they capsized, they should call for help.
elles chavirassent J’espère qu’elles ne chavirassent pas en haute mer. I hope they don’t capsize in the open sea.

Other Conjugations for Chavirer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chavirer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 chavirer Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply