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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb couiller

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The English translation of the French verb couiller is “to mess up” or “to screw up.” It is pronounced as “koo-yay.”

The word couiller comes from the Old French word “coillir,” which means “to gather” or “to pick.” Over time, its meaning evolved to also include the idea of “gathering up” or “muddling together,” which is how it came to be associated with the idea of messing up or making a mistake.

In everyday French, couiller is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is typically used to talk about something that should have happened, but didn’t, or to express regret or disappointment.

Here are three examples of couiller in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu ne couilles pas cette présentation.

Translation: I wish you hadn’t messed up this presentation.

  1. Il fallait que je ne couille pas mes études en jouant trop aux jeux vidéo.

Translation: I should have not messed up my studies by playing too many video games.

  1. Ma mère voulait que je ne couille pas mes chances d’entrer dans une bonne université.

Translation: My mother wanted me to not mess up my chances of getting into a good university.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je couillasse Si je travaillais plus, je couillasse mieux. If I worked more, I would do better.
tu couillasses Si tu avais du courage, tu couillasses plus loin. If you had courage, you would go further.
il couillât Il serait fier si il couillât comme ça. He would be proud if he succeeded like that.
elle couillât Elle serait surprise si elle couillât bien. She would be surprised if she did well.
on couillât Si on couillât plus, on réussirait mieux. If one did more, one would succeed better.
nous couillassions Si nous couillassions de manière différente, nous pourrions réussir. If we did things differently, we could succeed.
vous couillassiez Si vous couillassiez plus fort, vous auriez plus de force. If you exerted more force, you would have more strength.
ils couillassent S’ils couillassent plus intelligemment, ils gagneraient plus. If they acted more intelligently, they would earn more.
elles couillassent Si elles couillassent ensemble, elles auraient plus de succès. If they did things together, they would have more success.

Other Conjugations for Couiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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