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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb couillonner

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The English translation of the French verb couillonner is “to fool” or “to trick.” It is pronounced as “koo-yoh-neh.”

The origin of the word couillonner is unclear, but it is believed to come from the word “couillon,” which is a slang term for “idiot” or “fool.” It is most often used in informal or colloquial French, and it can also be considered a vulgar term.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, couillonner is often used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action. Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Je ne croyais pas qu’il me couillonnerait comme ça. (I didn’t think he would fool me like that.)
  2. Il fallait que tu le couillonnes pour qu’il comprenne. (You had to trick him for him to understand.)
  3. On aurait dit qu’elle m’avait couillonné toute sa vie. (It seemed like she had been fooling me her whole life.)

In these examples, the verb couillonner is conjugated in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a possibility or doubt. The English translations reflect the same uncertainty or hypothetical nature of the actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je couillonnasse Si j’étais plus naïf, je couillonnasse facilement. If I were more naive, I would easily get fooled.
tu couillonnesses Si tu avais moins d’expérience, tu couillonnesses plus souvent. If you had less experience, you would get fooled more often.
il couillonnât Il serait déçu si il couillonnât encore. He would be disappointed if he got fooled again.
elle couillonnât Elle serait en colère si elle couillonnât encore. She would be angry if she got fooled again.
on couillonnât Si on couillonnât moins, on apprendrait plus. If one got fooled less, one would learn more.
nous couillonnessions Si nous couillonnessions moins, nous serions plus méfiants. If we got fooled less, we would be more suspicious.
vous couillonnessiez Si vous couillonnessiez plus souvent, vous seriez plus prudents. If you got fooled more often, you would be more cautious.
ils couillonnassent S’ils couillonnassent plus souvent, je serais en colère. If they got fooled more often, I would be angry.
elles couillonnassent Si elles couillonnassent encore, ça serait vraiment bête. If they got fooled again, it would be really stupid.

Other Conjugations for Couillonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couillonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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