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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cocotter

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The English translation of the French verb cocotter is “to flirt”. It is pronounced as “ko-ko-te”.

Cocotter comes from the word “cocotte”, which originally meant a small pot or casserole dish. Over time, it came to be used as a slang term for a young woman who is flirtatious or coquettish. The verb cocotter, then, means to behave in a flirtatious or coquettish manner.

In everyday French, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or state in the past. Cocotter can be used in this tense to describe a past action or behavior that was flirtatious or coquettish.

Here are three simple examples of cocotter used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Elle ne pouvait pas s’empêcher de cocotter avec tous les garçons qui l’entouraient. (She couldn’t help but flirt with all the boys around her.)

  2. Si tu m’avais vu hier soir, tu aurais vu à quel point j’ai cocotté avec le serveur. (If you had seen me last night, you would have seen how much I flirted with the waiter.)

  3. Je pensais qu’elle était sérieuse avec moi, mais apparemment elle cocottait avec tous mes amis derrière mon dos. (I thought she was serious about me, but apparently she was flirting with all my friends behind my back.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cocottasse Si j’étais plus jeune, je cocottasse à tous les bals. If I were younger, I would attend all the balls.
tu cocottasses Si tu sortais plus, tu cocottasses avec tes amis. If you went out more, you would flirt with your friends.
il cocottât Il se sentirait mieux s’il cocottât moins. He would feel better if he flirted less.
elle cocottât Elle serait plus heureuse si elle cocottât avec lui. She would be happier if she flirted with him.
on cocottât Si on cocottât moins, on éviterait les conflits. If one flirted less, one would avoid conflicts.
nous cocottassions Si nous cocottassions ensemble, ça serait amusant. If we flirted together, it would be fun.
vous cocottassiez Si vous cocottassiez plus, vous seriez plus séduisant. If you flirted more, you would be more charming.
ils cocottassent S’ils cocottassent avec plus de tact, ils auraient plus de succès. If they flirted with more tact, they would have more success.
elles cocottassent Si elles cocottassent aussi ouvertement, elles seraient critiquées. If they flirted as openly, they would be criticized.

Other Conjugations for Cocotter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cocotter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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