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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clocher

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The English translation of the French verb clocher is “to limp” or “to hobble.” It is pronounced as “kloh-shay” in its infinitive form.

The word clocher comes from the Old French word “cloche,” meaning “bell.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the subjonctif imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used to express a condition or consequence that is dependent on a past event.

Examples of clocher in the subjonctif imparfait tense are:

  1. Si j’avais mal au pied, je clochais. (If my foot had hurt, I would have limped.)

  2. Il fallait que tu clochasses pour arriver à temps. (You had to hobble to arrive on time.)

  3. Nous aurions cloché si nous n’avions pas vu le panneau. (We would have hobbled if we hadn’t seen the sign.)

English translations:

  1. If my foot had hurt, I would have limped.

  2. You had to hobble to arrive on time.

  3. We would have hobbled if we hadn’t seen the sign.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je clochasse Si j’étais plus courtois, je clochasse le matin. If I were more polite, I would ring the bell in the morning.
tu clochasses Si tu avais un peu plus de patience, tu clochasses moins fort. If you had a little more patience, you wouldn’t ring the bell so loudly.
il clochât Il serait surpris si il clochât le soir. He would be surprised if he rang the bell in the evening.
elle clochât Elle serait contente si elle clochât juste. She would be happy if she rang the bell correctly.
on clochât Si on clochât moins souvent, on serait plus apprécié. If one rang the bell less often, one would be more appreciated.
nous clochassions Si nous clochassions tous les jours, on se fatiguerait. If we rang the bell every day, we would get tired.
vous clochassiez Si vous clochassiez moins souvent, vous serez moins ennuyé. If you rang the bell less often, you would be less annoyed.
ils clochassent S’ils clochassent plus rapidement, ils finiraient plus tôt. If they rang the bell more quickly, they would finish earlier.
elles clochassent Si elles clochassent moins fort, on pourrait se concentrer. If they rang the bell more softly, one could concentrate.

Other Conjugations for Clocher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clocher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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