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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb collaborer

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of collaborer. 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 of the French verb collaborer is “to collaborate.” The infinitive form is pronounced koh-lah-boh-ray.

The word “collaborer” comes from the Latin word “collaborare,” which means “to work together.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and has been used in both everyday and formal language since then. It is most often used in the context of working together with others to achieve a common goal.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, collaborer is often used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past that has not yet been completed. For example:

  1. Il fallait que nous collaborions pour que le projet soit un succès. (We needed to collaborate for the project to be a success.)

  2. J’aurais aimé que tu collaborasses avec moi sur ce projet. (I wish you had collaborated with me on this project.)

  3. Si vous collaboriez avec nous, nous serions plus efficaces. (If you collaborated with us, we would be more efficient.)

English translations:

  1. It was necessary for us to collaborate for the project to be a success.
  2. I wish you had collaborated with me on this project.
  3. If you collaborated with us, we would be more efficient.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je collaborasse Si j’avais la chance, je collaborasse avec lui. If I had the chance, I would collaborate with him.
tu collaborasses Si tu avais plus de temps, tu collaborasses avec elle. If you had more time, you would collaborate with her.
il collaborât Il serait content si il collaborât avec son équipe. He would be happy if he collaborated with his team.
elle collaborât Elle serait ravie si elle collaborât avec ses collègues. She would be delighted if she collaborated with her colleagues.
on collaborât Si on collaborât plus souvent, on aurait de meilleurs résultats. If one collaborated more often, one would have better results.
nous collaborassions Si nous collaborassions ensemble, nous réussirions. If we collaborated together, we would succeed.
vous collaborassiez Si vous collaborassiez plus efficacement, vous atteindriez vos objectifs. If you collaborated more efficiently, you would reach your goals.
ils collaborassent S’ils collaborassent mieux, ils pourraient résoudre le problème. If they collaborated better, they could solve the problem.
elles collaborassent Si elles collaborassent avec passion, elles pourraient réussir. If they collaborated with passion, they could succeed.

Other Conjugations for Collaborer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb collaborer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 collaborer Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts