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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cheviller

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The English translation of the French verb cheviller is “to peg” or “to pin”. It is pronounced “she-vee-yay” in the infinitive form.

The word cheviller comes from the noun “cheville”, which means “peg” or “pin”. It ultimately derives from the Latin word “capitellum”, meaning “small head”, which also gave us the English word “capitulum”.

In everyday French, cheviller is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Il fallait que je chevillasse la planche avant de la clouer. (I needed to peg the board before nailing it down.)
  2. Je préférais que tu chevillasses le meuble à la paroi pour plus de stabilité. (I preferred that you pinned the furniture to the wall for more stability.)
  3. Elle voulait que nous chevillassions les étagères ensemble pour les renforcer. (She wanted us to pin the shelves together to reinforce them.)

In these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait form of cheviller (chevillasse/chevillasses/chevillassions) is used to express a hypothetical or desired action in the past. The verb is often followed by “que” and the corresponding subject pronoun.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je chevillasse Si j’étais plus fort, je chevillasse plus haut. If I were stronger, I would climb higher.
tu chevillasses Si tu courais plus vite, tu chevillasses moins. If you ran faster, you would stumble less.
il chevillât Il aurait peur si il chevillât plus profondément. He would be scared if he anchored more deeply.
elle chevillât Elle serait plus stable si elle chevillât mieux. She would be more stable if she anchored better.
on chevillât Si on chevillât correctement, on serait en sécurité. If one anchored properly, one would be safe.
nous chevillassions Si nous chevillassions ensemble, nous pourrions avancer. If we anchored together, we could move forward.
vous chevillassiez Si vous chevillassiez plus fort, vous ne tomberiez pas. If you anchored stronger, you wouldn’t fall.
ils chevillassent S’ils chevillassent mieux, ils seraient plus efficaces. If they anchored better, they would be more efficient.
elles chevillassent Si elles chevillassent plus solidement, elles tiendraient mieux. If they anchored more solidly, they would hold better.

Other Conjugations for Cheviller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cheviller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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