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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chiffonner

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The English translation of the French verb chiffonner is “to crumple” or “to wrinkle.” It is pronounced “shee-fohn-ay” in its infinitive form.

The word chiffonner comes from the French word “chiffon,” which means “rag” or “scrap of fabric.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of crumpling or wrinkling something, both literally and figuratively.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, chiffonner expresses a possibility or hypothetical situation in the past. It is often used with the conditional tense to express a desired or imagined outcome.

Examples of chiffonner in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense include:

  1. Il fallait que je chiffonne ma robe avant le mariage. (I had to crumple my dress before the wedding.)
  2. J’aurais préféré que tu ne chiffonnes pas mon dessin. (I would have preferred if you didn’t crumple my drawing.)
  3. Il était possible que la pluie chiffonne le papier. (It was possible that the rain would crumple the paper.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je chiffonnasse Si j’avais plus de temps, je chiffonnasse tous mes vêtements. If I had more time, I would crumple all my clothes.
tu chiffonnasses Si tu n’étais pas si pressé, tu chiffonnasses moins de papier. If you weren’t in such a hurry, you would crumple less paper.
il chiffonnât Il serait plus organisé s’il chiffonnât ses documents. He would be more organized if he crumpled his documents.
elle chiffonnât Elle n’aurait pas autant de feuilles si elle chiffonnât ses brouillons. She wouldn’t have so many papers if she crumpled her drafts.
on chiffonnât Si on ne chiffonnât pas les notes, elles seraient plus lisibles. If one didn’t crumple the notes, they would be more legible.
nous chiffonnassions Si nous chiffonnassions ensemble, ça serait plus marrant. If we crumpled together, it would be more fun.
vous chiffonnassiez Si vous chiffonnassiez moins fort, vous ne froisseriez pas le papier. If you crumpled less forcefully, you wouldn’t crease the paper.
ils chiffonnassent S’ils chiffonnassent plus de feuilles, ils auraient plus de déchets. If they crumpled more papers, they would have more waste.
elles chiffonnassent Si elles chiffonnassent leurs notes, elles seraient plus faciles à mémoriser. If they crumpled their notes, they would be easier to remember.

Other Conjugations for Chiffonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chiffonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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