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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb compartimenter

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The English translation of the French verb compartimenter is “to compartmentalize.” It is pronounced “kom-par-tee-mahn-teh.”

Compartimenter comes from the French word “compartiment,” meaning “compartment,” and the suffix “-er,” which is added to verbs to indicate the infinitive form. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express actions or states that are uncertain or hypothetical in the past.

Three simple examples of compartimenter in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu compartimentes mieux ta vie professionnelle et ta vie personnelle. (I wish you had compartmentalized your professional and personal life better.)
  2. Il fallait que je compartimente mes émotions pour rester professionnel en présence de mes clients. (I had to compartmentalize my emotions to remain professional in front of my clients.)
  3. Nous aurions dû compartimenter nos dépenses pour mieux gérer notre budget. (We should have compartmentalized our expenses to better manage our budget.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je compartimentasse Si je n’avais pas peur, je compartimentasse mes sentiments. If I weren’t afraid, I would compartmentalize my feelings.
tu compartimentasses Si tu ne te sentais pas coupable, tu compartimentasses mieux. If you didn’t feel guilty, you would compartmentalize better.
il compartimentât Il serait plus organisé s’il compartimentât ses dossiers. He would be more organized if he compartmentalized his files.
elle compartimentât Elle aurait moins de chaos dans sa vie si elle compartimentât ses tâches. She would have less chaos in her life if she compartmentalized her tasks.
on compartimentât Si on n’avait pas de distractions, on compartimentât plus facilement. If one didn’t have distractions, one would compartmentalize more easily.
nous compartimentassions Si nous partagions nos responsabilités, nous compartimentassions mieux. If we shared our responsibilities, we would compartmentalize better.
vous compartimentassiez Si vous aviez plus de temps, vous compartimentassiez moins. If you had more time, you would compartmentalize less.
ils compartimentassent S’ils avaient des cloisons, ils compartimentassent leurs pièces. If they had walls, they would compartmentalize their rooms.
elles compartimentassent Si elles avaient plus de temps libre, elles compartimentassent plus. If they had more free time, they would compartmentalize more.

Other Conjugations for Compartimenter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compartimenter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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