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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chniquer

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The English translation of the French verb chniquer is “to bother, to annoy, to pester.” The infinitive form is pronounced “shee-nee-kay.”

Chniquer comes from the colloquial word “chnique” which means “trick, prank.” It originated as a slang term in the 19th century and is most often used in casual, everyday speech.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, chniquer is used to express an action that is uncertain, hypothetical, or desired in the past. It is often preceded by the conjunction “que” and follows the same conjugation pattern as other -er verbs in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense.

Example 1: Il fallait que tu le chniques pour qu’il te laisse tranquille.
English translation: You had to bother him so he would leave you alone.

Example 2: J’aimais bien quand elle me chniquait, c’était amusant.
English translation: I used to like it when she would bother me, it was fun.

Example 3: Nous souhaitions que vous ne nous chniquiez plus après ça.
English translation: We hoped that you wouldn’t bother us anymore after that.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je chniquasse Je voudrais que je chniquasse moins souvent. I wish I didn’t swear so often.
tu chniquasses Si tu chniquasses moins, tu aurais plus d’amis. If you swore less, you would have more friends.
il chniquât Il aurait l’air plus poli s’il chniquât moins. He would seem more polite if he swore less.
elle chniquât Elle serait plus respectée si elle chniquât moins. She would be more respected if she swore less.
on chniquât Si on chniquât dans cette église, ça serait irrespectueux. If one swore in this church, it would be disrespectful.
nous chniquassions Si nous chniquassions moins, nous serions plus polis. If we swore less, we would be more polite.
vous chniquassiez Si vous chniquassiez plus, vous seriez moins crédible. If you swore more, you would be less credible.
ils chniquassent S’ils chniquassent en public, ça pourrait causer des problèmes. If they swore in public, it could cause problems.
elles chniquassent Si elles chniquassent ensemble, ça serait une mauvaise influence. If they swore together, it would be a bad influence.

Other Conjugations for Chniquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chniquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chniquer – 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.

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