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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chialer

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The English translation of the French verb chialer is “to whine,” “to complain,” or “to cry.” The infinitive form is pronounced “shee-a-lay.”

The origin of the word chialer is uncertain, but it is believed to come from the Latin word “gallare” meaning “to annoy” or “to irritate.” It is commonly used in everyday French to express frustration, annoyance, or disappointment.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, chialer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que tu chiales tout le temps. (You had to whine all the time.)
  2. Elle souhaitait que son enfant chialât moins. (She wished her child would whine less.)
  3. Si j’avais su, je ne serais pas resté là à chialer. (If I had known, I wouldn’t have stayed there whining.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je chialasse Si je n’avais pas sommeil, je chialasse moins. If I weren’t tired, I would cry less.
tu chialasses Si tu allais dormir, tu chialasses moins. If you went to sleep, you would cry less.
il chialât Il serait moins fatigué s’il chialât moins. He would be less tired if he cried less.
elle chialât Elle serait plus calme si elle chialât moins. She would be calmer if she cried less.
on chialât Si on chialât moins, on aurait une attitude plus positive. If one cried less, one would have a more positive attitude.
nous chialassions Si nous chialassions ensemble, on se comprendrait mieux. If we cried together, we would understand each other better.
vous chialassiez Si vous chialassiez plus souvent, vous vous sentiriez mieux. If you cried more often, you would feel better.
ils chialassent S’ils chialassent moins, ils seraient moins stressés. If they cried less, they would be less stressed.
elles chialassent Si elles chialassent plus, elles ne seraient pas si tristes. If they cried more, they wouldn’t be so sad.

Other Conjugations for Chialer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chialer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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