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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb colorer

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The English translation of the French verb colorer is “to color” or “to dye.” The infinitive form, colorer, is pronounced “koh-loh-rey.”

The word colorer comes from the Latin word “colorare,” which means “to color.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples of colorer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je colorasse mes cheveux en rouge. (I had to dye my hair red.)
  2. Elle préférait que nous colorassions les murs en bleu. (She preferred that we paint the walls blue.)
  3. Il était temps que vous colorassiez les œufs pour Pâques. (It was time for you to dye the eggs for Easter.)

English translations:

  1. It was necessary for me to dye my hair red.
  2. She preferred for us to paint the walls blue.
  3. It was time for you to dye the eggs for Easter.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je colorasse Je ne le ferais pas même si je colorasse les pages. I wouldn’t do it even if I colored the pages.
tu colorasses Si tu colorasses mieux, tu serais artiste. If you colored better, you would be an artist.
il colorât Il serait content si il colorât le dessin. He would be happy if he colored the drawing.
elle colorât Elle serait fière si elle colorât sans dépasser. She would be proud if she colored without going over the lines.
on colorât Si on colorât plus souvent, on aurait plus de dessins. If one colored more often, one would have more drawings.
nous colorassions Si nous colorassions les mêmes pages, nous aurions les mêmes dessins. If we colored the same pages, we would have the same drawings.
vous colorassiez Si vous colorassiez tous les jours, vous seriez plus habiles. If you colored every day, you would be more skilled.
ils colorassent S’ils colorassent ensemble, le résultat serait différent. If they colored together, the result would be different.
elles colorassent Si elles colorassent en utilisant des couleurs différentes, ça serait plus intéressant. If they colored using different colors, it would be more interesting.

Other Conjugations for Colorer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb colorer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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