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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb colmater

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The English translation of the French verb colmater is “to seal” or “to patch up.” It is pronounced as “kohl-mah-tey.”

The language origin of colmater comes from the Latin word “collimare,” which means “to close up.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of colmater in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je colmate les fuites dans le toit avant qu’il ne pleuve. (I had to seal the leaks in the roof before it rained.)
  2. Mes parents voulaient que je colmate toutes les fissures dans les murs de la maison. (My parents wanted me to patch up all the cracks in the walls of the house.)
  3. Nous cherchions un moyen de colmater les brèches dans la sécurité du système informatique. (We were looking for a way to seal the breaches in the security of the computer system.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je colmatasse Si j’avais un trou, je colmatasse avec du ciment. If I had a hole, I would patch it with cement.
tu colmatasses Tu serais content si tu colmatasses le bateau. You would be happy if you patched the boat.
il colmatât Il serait surpris si il colmatât le toit. He would be surprised if he patched the roof.
elle colmatât Elle serait fière si elle le colmatât tout seule. She would be proud if she patched it by herself.
on colmatât Si on colmatât les fissures, il y aurait moins d’eau. If one patched the cracks, there would be less water.
nous colmatassions Si nous colmatassions les fuites, nous économiserions de l’eau. If we patched the leaks, we would save water.
vous colmatassiez Si vous colmatassiez le mur, il serait plus solide. If you patched the wall, it would be stronger.
ils colmatassent S’ils colmatassent les fuites d’eau, la maison serait plus sèche. If they patched the water leaks, the house would be drier.
elles colmatassent Si elles colmatassent les fissures, le bateau flotterait mieux. If they patched the cracks, the boat would float better.

Other Conjugations for Colmater.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb colmater
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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