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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coincer

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The English translation of the French verb coincer is “to get stuck” or “to be jammed”. It is pronounced as “kwan-seh” in the infinitive form.

The language origin of coincer can be traced back to the Old French word “coincer” meaning “to wedge” or “to jam”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a past tense that expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. Nous ne pouvions pas sortir car la porte était coincée. (We couldn’t leave because the door was jammed.)

  2. Il fallait que tu me dépannes, j’étais coincé sur le bord de la route. (You had to help me, I was stuck on the side of the road.)

  3. Si je n’avais pas appelé le serrurier, nous serions restés coincés dehors toute la nuit. (If I hadn’t called the locksmith, we would have been stuck outside all night.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je coinçasse Si j’étais fort, je coinçasse la porte pour l’ouvrir. If I were strong, I would wedge the door to open it.
tu coinçasses Si tu étais plus prudent, tu coinçasses la porte pour qu’elle ne se ferme pas. If you were more careful, you would wedge the door so it doesn’t close.
il coinçât Il serait en sécurité si il coinçât la fenêtre. He would be safe if he wedged the window.
elle coinçât Elle serait tranquille si elle coinçât la porte. She would be calm if she wedged the door.
on coinçât Si on coinçât bien, on pourrait ouvrir la porte. If one wedged properly, one could open the door.
nous coinçassions Si nous coinçassions ensemble, on aurait plus de force. If we wedged together, we would have more strength.
vous coinçassiez Si vous coinçassiez le bois, il tiendrait mieux. If you wedged the wood, it would hold better.
ils coinçassent S’ils coinçassent la corde, on pourrait monter sans danger. If they wedged the rope, we could climb safely.
elles coinçassent Si elles coinçassent les roues, la voiture ne roulerait pas. If they wedged the wheels, the car wouldn’t roll.

Other Conjugations for Coincer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coincer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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