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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb claver

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of claver. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb claver is “to chat” or “to gossip.” It is pronounced as “klah-vay.”

The language origin of claver can be traced back to the Old French word “claver,” which meant “to talk.” It then evolved into the Middle French verb “clavarder,” which meant “to chat.” In modern French, “claver” is used mainly in spoken language and is often considered informal or colloquial.

In everyday French, claver is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express hypothetical or uncertain actions or events in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que nous clavassions pendant des heures. (We had to chat for hours.)
  2. J’aurais aimé que tu clavasses avec elle. (I wish you had chatted with her.)
  3. Si je clavais avec mes collègues, je raterais mon train. (If I chatted with my colleagues, I would miss my train.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je clavasse Si j’étais musicien, je clavasse toute la journée. If I were a musician, I would play piano all day.
tu clavasses Si tu apprenais, tu clavasses mieux. If you learned, you would play piano better.
il clavât Il aurait plus de temps s’il clavât moins. He would have more time if he played piano less.
elle clavât Elle serait cool si elle clavât bien. She would be cool if she played piano well.
on clavât Si on jouait ensemble, on clavât mieux. If we played together, we would play piano better.
nous clavassions Si nous clavassions tous les jours, nous progresserions. If we played piano every day, we would make progress.
vous clavassiez Si vous clavassiez à voix basse, on ne vous entendrait pas. If you played piano quietly, we wouldn’t hear you.
ils clavassent S’ils clavassent plus vite, ils seraient fatigués. If they played piano faster, they would be tired.
elles clavassent Si elles clavassent ensemble, ça serait mélodieux. If they played piano together, it would be melodious.

Other Conjugations for Claver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb claver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the claver Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts