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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coudoyer

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The English translation of the French verb coudoyer is “to brush shoulders with” or “to rub elbows with.” It is pronounced as “koo-dwah-yay.”

Coudoyer comes from the Old French word “codoier,” which comes from the Latin word “cubitare” meaning “to elbow.” In everyday French, coudoyer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu te coudoyasses avec des gens plus intéressants. (I would have liked for you to rub shoulders with more interesting people.)
  2. Elle souhaitait que nous nous coudoyions avec les célébrités lors de l’événement. (She wished for us to brush shoulders with celebrities at the event.)
  3. Il fallait qu’ils se coudoyassent avec les membres du jury pour avoir une chance de gagner. (They had to rub elbows with the jury members to have a chance of winning.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je coudoyasse Si j’étais riche, je coudoyasse tout le temps. If I were rich, I would constantly rub elbows.
tu coudoyasses Si tu étais plus grand, tu coudoyasses moins. If you were taller, you would bump into people less.
il coudoyât Il serait plus courtois s’il coudoyât moins. He would be more polite if he bumped into people less.
elle coudoyât Elle serait plus agréable si elle coudoyât moins. She would be more pleasant if she bumped into people less.
on coudoyât Si on coudoyât moins, on se ferait moins pousser. If one bumped into people less, one would get pushed less.
nous coudoyassions Si nous coudoyassions plus souvent, nous rencontrerions plus de gens. If we bumped into people more often, we would meet more people.
vous coudoyassiez Si vous coudoyassiez plus souvent, vous vous connaîtriez mieux. If you bumped into people more often, you would know each other better.
ils coudoyassent S’ils coudoyassent quelqu’un de plus important, ça serait impoli. If they bumped into someone more important, it would be impolite.
elles coudoyassent Si elles coudoyassent moins, elles se disputeraient moins. If they bumped into each other less, they would argue less.

Other Conjugations for Coudoyer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coudoyer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Coudoyer – 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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