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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cordonner

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The English translation of the French verb cordonner is “to mend” or “to repair shoes.” It is pronounced “kor-doh-nay.”

The word cordonner comes from the Latin word “corda,” meaning “leather,” and was used to describe someone who made or repaired shoes. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a wish, desire, or hypothetical situation in the past.

Examples:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu cordonnasses mes chaussures avant la fête. (I wish you had mended my shoes before the party.)

  2. Il fallait que je cordonnasse mes bottes avant de partir en randonnée. (I had to repair my boots before going on the hike.)

  3. Nous aurions préféré que le cordonnier cordonnât nos souliers en cuir plutôt que de les jeter. (We would have preferred the cobbler to mend our leather shoes instead of throwing them away.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cordonnasse Si je gagnais à la loterie, je cordonnasse mes chaussures à la main. If I won the lottery, I would hand-sew my shoes.
tu cordonnasses Si tu avais le temps, tu cordonnasses tes bottes toi-même. If you had the time, you would repair your boots yourself.
il cordonnât Il serait plus élégant s’il cordonnât ses chaussures. He would be more stylish if he repaired his shoes.
elle cordonnât Elle serait plus confortable si elle cordonnât ses sandales. She would be more comfortable if she repaired her sandals.
on cordonnât Si on cordonnât nos chaussures, on aurait plus de choix. If we repaired our shoes, we would have more options.
nous cordonnassions Si nous cordonnassions tous les souliers de la famille, nous économiserions de l’argent. If we repaired all the family’s shoes, we would save money.
vous cordonnassiez Si vous cordonnassiez plus de chaussures, vous deviendriez un expert. If you repaired more shoes, you would become an expert.
ils cordonnassent S’ils cordonnassent leurs bottines, ils pourraient les revendre. If they repaired their ankle boots, they could resell them.
elles cordonnassent Si elles cordonnassent leurs talons hauts, elles seraient fières d’elles-mêmes. If they repaired their high heels, they would be proud of themselves.

Other Conjugations for Cordonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cordonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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