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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chicotter

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The English translation of the French verb chicotter is “to whip” or “to lash.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “shee-koh-tay.”

The word chicotter comes from the French noun chicot, which means “switch” or “rod.” It is derived from the Latin word ciccitus, which means “little stick.”

In everyday French, chicotter is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in literary or formal contexts.

Here are three examples of chicotter being used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je le chicottasse pour qu’il arrête de mentir. (I had to whip him so he would stop lying.)

  2. Elle craignait qu’il la chicottât s’il découvrait la vérité. (She was afraid he would whip her if he found out the truth.)

  3. Les enfants auraient voulu que leur père ne les chicottât pas si durement. (The children wished their father wouldn’t whip them so harshly.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je chicottasse Je te donnerais un bonbon si je chicottasse. I would give you a candy if I nagged.
tu chicottasses Si tu chicottasses moins, je te ferais plus confiance. If you nagged less, I would trust you more.
il chicottât Il pensait qu’elle le chicottât tout le temps. He thought that she nagged him all the time.
elle chicottât Elle agaçait son frère comme si elle chicottât un enfant. She annoyed her brother as if she nagged a child.
on chicottât Quand on était petits, on se chicottât pour des raisons stupides. When we were young, we nagged each other for stupid reasons.
nous chicottassions Si nous ne nous chicottassions pas tout le temps, nos disputes seraient moins nombreuses. If we didn’t nag each other all the time, our fights would be less frequent.
vous chicottassiez Les parents espéraient que vous les chicottassiez moins. The parents hoped that you would nag them less.
ils chicottassent Ils se disputaient souvent parce qu’ils se chicottassent trop. They often argued because they nagged each other too much.
elles chicottassent Elles se fâchaient parce qu’elles se chicottassent pour n’importe quoi. They got mad at each other because they nagged each other for anything.

Other Conjugations for Chicotter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chicotter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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