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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coiffer

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of coiffer. 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 for the French verb coiffer is “to style” or “to do one’s hair.” It is pronounced as “kwaf-ay” in its infinitive form.

The word coiffer comes from the Old French “coif,” meaning a headdress or cap, and ultimately from the Latin “cappa,” meaning “cloak” or “hood.” In everyday French, coiffer is most often used to refer to styling one’s hair, but it can also be used in other contexts such as fitting a hat or cap.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, coiffer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage:

  1. Il fallait que je coiffasse mes cheveux avant la fête. (I needed to style my hair before the party.)
  2. Elle voulait que sa mère lui coiffât les cheveux tous les matins. (She wanted her mother to style her hair every morning.)
  3. Si j’avais su coiffer les cheveux, je l’aurais fait moi-même. (If I had known how to style hair, I would have done it myself.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je coiffasse Je voudrais que je coiffasse ma sœur pour la fête. I wish I could style my sister’s hair for the party.
tu coiffasses Si tu avais un peigne, tu coiffasses tes cheveux. If you had a comb, you would style your hair.
il coiffât Il faudrait qu’il coiffât ses cheveux avant de sortir. He should style his hair before going out.
elle coiffât Elle serait plus heureuse si elle coiffât les cheveux de sa fille. She would be happier if she styled her daughter’s hair.
on coiffât Il faudrait qu’on coiffât les poupées avant le départ. We should style the dolls before leaving.
nous coiffassions Si nous coiffassions les uns les autres, nous serions plus proches. If we styled each other’s hair, we would be closer.
vous coiffassiez Si vous coiffassiez moins, vous auriez plus de temps pour vous. If you styled your hair less, you would have more time for yourself.
ils coiffassent J’aimerais que vous coiffassent mieux vos clients. I wish you would style your clients’ hair better.
elles coiffassent Si elles coiffassent ensemble, elles auraient des coiffures différentes. If they styled their hair together, they would have different hairstyles.

Other Conjugations for Coiffer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coiffer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 coiffer Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts