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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chercher

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The English translation of the French verb chercher is “to search” or “to look for.” It is pronounced “shehr-shay.”

The word chercher comes from the Old French word “cerchier,” which is derived from the Latin word “circare,” meaning “to go around” or “to search.” It is most commonly used in everyday French to express the act of looking for something or someone.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, chercher is used to express a desire or wish for something to be found or achieved. It is often used in conjunction with the conjunction “que” and a subjunctive verb.

Here are three examples of chercher in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je cherchasse mes clés avant de partir. (I had to look for my keys before leaving.)
  2. Je souhaitais que tu cherchasses un cadeau pour ton frère. (I wished for you to look for a gift for your brother.)
  3. Il était nécessaire que nous cherchassions une solution à ce problème. (It was necessary for us to search for a solution to this problem.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cherchasse Si j’avais du temps, je cherchasse les informations dont j’ai besoin. If I had time, I would search for the information I need.
tu cherchasses Si tu avais de l’argent, tu cherchasses un nouvel appartement. If you had money, you would look for a new apartment.
il cherchât Il serait content si il cherchât partout pour retrouver ses clés. He would be happy if he searched everywhere to find his keys.
elle cherchât Elle serait surprise si elle cherchât en vain. She would be surprised if she searched in vain.
on cherchât Si on cherchât plus attentivement, on pourrait trouver la solution. If one searched more carefully, one could find the solution.
nous cherchassions Si nous cherchassions ensemble, nous trouverions plus rapidement. If we searched together, we would find more quickly.
vous cherchassiez Si vous cherchassiez mieux, vous auriez plus de résultats. If you searched better, you would have more results.
ils cherchassent S’ils cherchassent plus longtemps, ils finiraient par trouver. If they searched longer, they would eventually find it.
elles cherchassent Si elles cherchassent plus souvent, elles découvriraient des choses intéressantes. If they searched more often, they would discover interesting things.

Other Conjugations for Chercher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chercher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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