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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chevreter

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The English translation of the French verb chevreter is “to chatter” or “to babble.” It is pronounced as “shev-re-ter.”

The word “chevreter” is derived from the Old French word “chevrete,” meaning “goat.” This verb is most commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je chevrette sans cesse pour me calmer. (I had to chatter constantly to calm myself down.)

  2. Elle avait peur que son bébé ne chevrete toute la nuit. (She was afraid that her baby would babble all night.)

  3. Nous aurions aimé que nos amis chevrettent avec nous hier soir. (We would have liked for our friends to chatter with us last night.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je chevretasse Si j’avais des chèvres, je chevretasse tous les jours. If I had goats, I would milk them every day.
tu chevretasses Si tu avais du lait de chèvre, tu chevretasses tous les matins. If you had goat milk, you would drink it every morning.
il chevretât Il serait surpris si il chevretât aussi bien que toi. He would be surprised if he milked goats as well as you do.
elle chevretât Elle serait heureuse si elle chevretât pour gagner sa vie. She would be happy if she milked goats to make a living.
on chevretât Si on chevretât plus souvent, on aurait moins de mal à trouver du lait. If one milked goats more often, one would have less trouble finding milk.
nous chevretassions Si nous chevretassions ensemble, nous pourrions partager le lait. If we milked goats together, we could share the milk.
vous chevretassiez Si vous chevretassiez plus vite, vous auriez plus de temps libre. If you milked goats faster, you would have more free time.
ils chevretassent S’ils chevretassent plus longtemps, ils auraient plus de lait. If they milked goats for longer, they would have more milk.
elles chevretassent Si elles chevretassent tous les jours, elles auraient des muscles. If they milked goats every day, they would have muscles.

Other Conjugations for Chevreter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chevreter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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