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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chlinguer

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The English translation of the French verb chlinguer is “to stink” or “to reek.” The infinitive form is pronounced “shling-gay.”

The origin of chlinguer is not completely clear, but it is believed to be derived from the dialectal word “clinguar,” meaning “to cling.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a verb tense used to express uncertainty or a hypothetical situation in the past.

Three simple examples of chlinguer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with English translations are:

  1. Il fallait que ça chlinguât dans ce vieux grenier. (It was necessary for it to stink in this old attic.)

  2. Elle préférait que ça ne chlinguât pas dans sa voiture. (She preferred for it not to stink in her car.)

  3. J’aurais aimé que la poubelle ne chlinguât pas autant. (I would have liked for the garbage can not to stink so much.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je chlinguasse Si je mangeais ce poisson, je chlinguasse toute la journée. If I ate this fish, I would stink all day.
tu chlinguasses Si tu ne prenais pas de douche, tu chlinguasses horriblement. If you didn’t take a shower, you would stink horribly.
il chlinguât Il serait dégoûté si il chlinguât autant que toi. He would be disgusted if he stank as much as you.
elle chlinguât Elle serait malade si elle chlinguât comme toi. She would be sick if she stank like you.
on chlinguât Si on chlinguât moins, on aurait des amis. If one didn’t stink as much, one would have friends.
nous chlinguassions Si nous chlinguassions moins, on ne nous éviterait pas. If we didn’t stink as much, people wouldn’t avoid us.
vous chlinguassiez Si vous chlinguassiez autant, vous n’iriez pas en date. If you stank as much, you wouldn’t go on dates.
ils chlinguassent S’ils chlinguassent, ils n’auraient pas de petit ami. If they stank, they wouldn’t have a boyfriend.
elles chlinguassent Si elles chlinguassent toutes, ça sentirait mauvais. If they all stank, it would smell bad.

Other Conjugations for Chlinguer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chlinguer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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