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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cogner

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The English translation of the French verb cogner is “to hit” or “to knock.” It is pronounced as “koh-nay.”

The verb cogner comes from the Latin word “collidere” which means “to collide.” It is most often used in everyday French to indicate physical impact or forceful contact.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, cogner is used when expressing a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is formed by adding the verb endings “-ais,” “-ais,” “-ait,” “-ions,” “-iez,” and “-aient” to the stem “cogn-.”

Here are three simple examples of cogner in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que tu cognasse la porte. (You had to knock on the door.)
  2. Nous aurions aimé qu’ils cognassent la vérité. (We would have liked for them to hit the truth.)
  3. J’aurais préféré que vous cognassiez avant d’entrer. (I would have preferred for you to knock before entering.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cognasse Si j’étais plus fort, je cognasse plus fort. If I were stronger, I would hit harder.
tu cognasses Si tu t’entraînes plus, tu cognasses mieux. If you trained more, you would hit better.
il cognât Il serait en colère si il cognât plus fort. He would be angry if he hit harder.
elle cognât Elle serait surprise si elle cognât bien. She would be surprised if she hit well.
on cognât Si on cognât plus fort, on ferait plus de bruit. If one hit harder, one would make more noise.
nous cognassions Si nous cognassions ensemble, ça ferait mal. If we hit together, it would hurt.
vous cognassiez Si vous cognassiez plus fort, vous gagneriez. If you hit harder, you would win.
ils cognassent S’ils cognassent trop fort, ils se feraient mal. If they hit too hard, they would hurt themselves.
elles cognassent Si elles cognassent plus, elles aimeraient mieux. If they hit more, they would like better.

Other Conjugations for Cogner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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