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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coquiller

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The English translation of the French verb coquiller is “to curl up” or “to form into a shell.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced as “koh-kee-yay.”

The word coquiller comes from the French noun coquille, meaning “shell.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a past tense used to express hypothetical or uncertain actions.

Some common uses of coquiller in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Si j’étais fatigué, je me coquillerais dans mon lit. (If I were tired, I would curl up in my bed.)

  2. Il fallait que tu te coquilles pour te protéger du froid. (You had to curl up to protect yourself from the cold.)

  3. Nous nous coquillions devant la cheminée pour nous réchauffer. (We would curl up in front of the fireplace to warm ourselves up.)

  4. If I were tired, I would curl up in my bed.

  5. You had to curl up to protect yourself from the cold.

  6. We would curl up in front of the fireplace to warm ourselves up.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je coquillasse Si j’étais plus organisé, je coquillasse moins. If I were more organized, I would make fewer mistakes.
tu coquillasses Si tu ne coquillasses pas autant, ça irait plus vite. If you didn’t make as many mistakes, it would go faster.
il coquillât Il serait content si il coquillât moins souvent. He would be happy if he made fewer mistakes.
elle coquillât Elle serait surprise si elle coquillât moins. She would be surprised if she made fewer mistakes.
on coquillât Si on ne coquillât pas autant, on comprendrait mieux. If one didn’t make as many mistakes, one would understand better.
nous coquil

Other Conjugations for Coquiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coquiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Coquiller – 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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