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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cintrer

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The English translation of the French verb cintrer is “to bend” or “to curve.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “sahn-tray.”

The word cintrer comes from the Latin word cinctura, which means “girdle” or “belt.” It is often used in everyday French to describe the action of bending or curving something. In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, it is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or situation in the past.

Here are three simple examples of how cintrer is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je cintrasse cette tige pour qu’elle ne se casse pas. (I had to bend this stem so that it wouldn’t break.)
  2. Je souhaitais que tu cintrasses le tuyau avant de le fixer. (I wished for you to bend the pipe before fixing it.)
  3. Les ouvriers devaient cintrer ces barres de fer pour les adapter à la forme du bâtiment. (The workers had to bend these iron bars to fit the shape of the building.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cintérasse Si j’avais plus de temps, je cintérasse mes jupes. If I had more time, I would cinch my skirts.
tu cintérasses Si tu avais un meilleur outil, tu cintérasses plus facilement. If you had a better tool, you would cinch more easily.
il cintérât Il serait plus confortable si il cintérât ses pantalons. It would be more comfortable if he cinched his pants.
elle cintérât Elle serait plus élégante si elle cintérât sa robe. She would be more elegant if she cinched her dress.
on cintérât Si on cintérât les chemises, elles auraient l’air plus ajustées. If one cinched shirts, they would look more fitted.
nous cintérassions Si nous cintérassions nos ceintures, nous serions bien serrés. If we cinched our belts, we would be tightly fastened.
vous cintérassiez Si vous cintérassiez toutes les robes, elles seraient identiques. If you cinched all the dresses, they would be identical.
ils cintérassent S’ils cintérassent plus fort, on verrait les plis. If they cinched tighter, you would see the folds.
elles cintérassent Si elles cintérassent leurs cheveux, ils seraient plus coiffés. If they cinched their hair, it would be more styled.

Other Conjugations for Cintrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cintrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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