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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb copermuter

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The English translation of the French verb copermuter is “to exchange” or “to swap”. The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced as “koh-pair-moo-tay”.

The term copermuter is derived from the Latin words “co-” meaning “together” and “permutare” meaning “to change or exchange”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a verb tense used to express hypothetical or uncertain actions in the past.

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

  1. Nous souhaitions que nos voisins copermutassent leur maison avec la nôtre. (We wished that our neighbors would exchange their house with ours.)
  2. Il était important que nous copermutassions nos numéros de téléphone pour rester en contact. (It was important that we swapped our phone numbers to stay in touch.)
  3. Je voulais que tu copermutasses ta place avec la mienne dans le train. (I wanted you to swap seats with mine on the train.)

In English, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is equivalent to the past tense of the verb “would” or the phrase “were to” when expressing a hypothetical or uncertain action. Therefore, the above examples can also be translated as “We wished our neighbors would exchange their house with ours”, “It was important that we were to swap our phone numbers to stay in touch”, and “I wanted you to swap seats with mine on the train”.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je copermutasse Si j’étais plus attentif, je copermutasse les chiffres correctement. If I were more attentive, I would permute the numbers correctly.
tu copermutasses Si tu copermutasses les nombres, tu obtiendrais la bonne réponse. If you permuted the numbers, you would get the right answer.
il copermutât Il réussirait si il copermutât les pièces du puzzle. He would succeed if he permuted the puzzle pieces.
elle copermutât Elle trouverait la solution si elle copermutât les lettres. She would find the solution if she permuted the letters.
on copermutât Si on copermutât les tâches, ça serait plus efficace. If one permuted the tasks, it would be more efficient.
nous copermutassions Si nous copermutassions les éléments, nous aurions un résultat différent. If we permuted the elements, we would have a different result.
vous copermutassiez Si vous copermutassiez les images, vous verriez l’illusion. If you permuted the images, you would see the illusion.
ils copermutassent Si ils copermutassent les groupes, ils obtiendraient des résultats variés. If they permuted the groups, they would get diverse results.
elles copermutassent Si elles copermutassent les cartes, le jeu serait différent. If they permuted the cards, the game would be different.

Other Conjugations for Copermuter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb copermuter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Copermuter – 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.

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