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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb commuter

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The English translation of the French verb “commuter” is “to commute.” It is pronounced as “koh-moo-tay.”

The word “commuter” comes from the Latin word “commutare,” meaning “to change, exchange.” In French, it is most often used in everyday language in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples:

  1. Il était important que je commuter tous les jours en train pour aller au travail. (It was important that I commuted by train every day to go to work.)

  2. Je préférais que tu commuter en voiture pour éviter le trafic. (I preferred that you commuted by car to avoid traffic.)

  3. Il fallait que nous commuter en bus à cause des grèves de métro. (We had to commute by bus because of subway strikes.)

  4. It was important that I commuted by train every day to go to work.

  5. I preferred that you commuted by car to avoid traffic.

  6. We had to commute by bus because of subway strikes.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je commutasse Si j’étais riche, je commutasse en voiture. If I were rich, I would commute by car.
tu commutasses Si tu avais plus de temps, tu commutasses en train. If you had more time, you would commute by train.
il commutât Il serait content si il commutât plus tôt. He would be happy if he commuted earlier.
elle commutât Elle serait surprise si elle commutât en vélo. She would be surprised if she commuted by bike.
on commutât Si on commutât moins, on économiserait plus. If one commuted less, one would save more.
nous commutassions Si nous commutassions ensemble, ça serait plus agréable. If we commuted together, it would be more enjoyable.
vous commutassiez Si vous commutassiez en bus, vous économiseriez de l’argent. If you commuted by bus, you would save money.
ils commutassent S’ils commutassent en voiture électrique, ils pollueraient moins. If they commuted by electric car, they would pollute less.
elles commutassent Si elles commutassent plus souvent, elles seraient moins fatiguées. If they commuted more often, they would be less tired.

Other Conjugations for Commuter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commuter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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