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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coulisser

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The English translation of coulisser is “to slide” or “to glide”. The infinitive form is pronounced “koo-lee-seh”.

The origin of coulisser can be traced back to the Old French word “colissier”, which comes from the Latin word “collisus” meaning “to collide”. In everyday French, coulisser is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are 3 simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je coulissasse la porte doucement pour ne pas réveiller le bébé. (I had to slide the door quietly so as not to wake the baby.)

  2. Elle m’a demandé si je coulisserais les sièges pour qu’elle puisse s’asseoir à côté de moi. (She asked me if I would slide the seats so she could sit next to me.)

  3. Nous aurions aimé que le tiroir coulissât plus facilement. (We wished that the drawer would slide more easily.)

Note: In these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait is used to express a desire, a request, or a hypothetical situation in the past. The verb coulisser is conjugated in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to match the tense and subject of the main verb in the sentence.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je coulissasse Je ne laisserais pas la fenêtre ouverte si je coulissasse mieux. I wouldn’t leave the window open if I could slide it better.
tu coulissasses Tu regarderais mieux si tu coulissasses les rideaux. You would see better if you slid the curtains.
il coulissât Il pourrait ouvrir la porte s’il coulissât correctement. He could open the door if he slid it correctly.
elle coulissât Elle pourrait se cacher si elle coulissât la porte. She could hide if she slid the door.
on coulissât Si on coulissât la table, on aurait plus de place. If one slid the table, one would have more space.
nous coulissassions Si nous coulissassions le tiroir, on le trouverait plus facilement. If we slid the drawer, we would find it more easily.
vous coulissassiez Si vous coulissassiez mieux, vous pourriez mieux voir. If you slid better, you could see better.
ils coulissassent S’ils coulissassent plus doucement, ça ne ferait pas autant de bruit. If they slid more gently, it wouldn’t make so much noise.
elles coulissassent Si elles coulissassent la porte, le chat ne pourrait pas entrer. If they slid the door, the cat couldn’t come in.

Other Conjugations for Coulisser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coulisser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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