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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chômer

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The English translation of the French verb chômer is “to be unemployed” or “to be idle”. It is pronounced “shoh-may”.

The language origin of chômer can be traced back to the Latin word “caumare”, meaning “to rest” or “to take a break”. In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical situation or a wish.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Il fallait que je chômât ce jour-là. (It was necessary for me to be unemployed that day.)

  2. Je souhaitais que tu chômasses avec moi. (I wished for you to be idle with me.)

  3. Il était temps que nous chômions un peu pour nous reposer. (It was time for us to take a break and be unemployed for a while.)

English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je chômât ce jour-là. – It was necessary for me to be unemployed that day.
  2. Je souhaitais que tu chômasses avec moi. – I wished for you to be idle with me.
  3. Il était temps que nous chômions un peu pour nous reposer. – It was time for us to take a break and be unemployed for a while.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je chômasse Si je gagnais au loto, je chômasse toute la journée. If I won the lottery, I would be unemployed all day.
tu chômasses Si tu étais plus organisé, tu chômasses moins. If you were more organized, you would be unemployed less.
il chômât Il aurait pu chômât pendant son congé. He could have taken time off during his vacation.
elle chômât Elle serait moins fatiguée si elle chômât plus. She would be less tired if she took more time off.
on chômât Si on chômât le dimanche, on serait plus reposés. If one took Sundays off, one would be more rested.
nous chômassions Si nous chômassions moins, nos salaires augmenteraient. If we were unemployed less, our salaries would increase.
vous chômassiez Si vous chômassiez le 1er mai, vous seriez payés double. If you took May 1st off, you would be paid double.
ils chômassent S’ils chômassent plus souvent, ils auraient plus de temps libre. If they were unemployed more often, they would have more free time.
elles chômassent Si elles chômassent ensemble, elles pourraient profiter de la plage. If they took time off together, they could enjoy the beach.

Other Conjugations for Chômer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chômer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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