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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cloquer

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The English translation of the French verb cloquer is “to crack” or “to chip.” It is pronounced “kloh-kay.”

The word cloquer comes from the Old French word “cloquier,” meaning “to crack or split open.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. In this tense, the verb cloquer can express something that may or may not have happened in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que le vase cloque pour que je sois en colère. (It was necessary for the vase to crack for me to get angry.)
  2. Je préférais que la peinture ne cloque pas, mais je savais que cela pouvait arriver. (I preferred that the paint not chip, but I knew it could happen.)
  3. Il fallait que je sois très prudent pour que mes lunettes ne cloquent pas dans le sac. (I had to be very careful so that my glasses wouldn’t chip in my bag.)

English translations:

  1. It was necessary for the vase to crack for me to get angry.
  2. I preferred that the paint not chip, but I knew it could happen.
  3. I had to be very careful so that my glasses wouldn’t chip in my bag.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cloquasse Si j’étais riche, je cloquasse plus souvent. If I were rich, I would splurge more often.
tu cloquasses Si tu travaillais moins, tu cloquasses moins. If you worked less, you would splurge less.
il cloquât Il serait heureux si il cloquât sans se soucier. He would be happy if he splurged without worrying.
elle cloquât Elle pourrait voyager si elle cloquât moins. She could travel if she splurged less.
on cloquât Si on cloquât moins, on pourrait économiser. If one splurged less, one could save money.
nous cloquassions Si nous gagnions à la loterie, nous cloquassions partout. If we won the lottery, we would splurge everywhere.
vous cloquassiez Si vous aviez plus de temps, vous cloquassiez plus. If you had more time, you would splurge more.
ils cloquassent S’ils n’étaient pas si frugaux, ils cloquassent plus souvent. If they weren’t so frugal, they would splurge more often.
elles cloquassent Si elles avaient plus d’argent, elles cloquassent plus. If they had more money, they would splurge more.

Other Conjugations for Cloquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cloquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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