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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb courailler

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The English translation of the French verb courailler is “to chase” or “to run after.” It is pronounced “koo-ray-ay.”

The origin of the word courailler can be traced back to the Old French word “coarrier,” meaning “to run quickly.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Je craignais qu’il ne me couraille. (I was afraid he would chase me.)
  2. Il voulait que je le couraillasse jusqu’à la fin du monde. (He wanted me to chase him to the end of the world.)
  3. Nous cherchions un chaton à courailler dans le jardin. (We were looking for a kitten to chase in the garden.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je couraillasse J’aurais peur que je couraillasse trop fort. I would be afraid that I would bark too loudly.
tu couraillasses Si tu avais un chien, tu couraillasses souvent. If you had a dog, you would bark often.
il couraillât Il serait heureux si il couraillât à la plage. He would be happy if he barked at the beach.
elle couraillât Elle serait triste si elle couraillât seul. She would be sad if she barked alone.
on couraillât Si on couraillât ensemble, ça serait amusant. If one barked together, it would be fun.
nous couraillassions Si nous couraillassions plus, on aurait plus d’énergie. If we barked more, we would have more energy.
vous couraillassiez Si vous couraillassiez moins fort, ça serait moins bruyant. If you barked less loudly, it would be less noisy.
ils couraillassent S’ils couraillassent la nuit, ça serait dérangeant. If they barked at night, it would be disturbing.
elles couraillassent Si elles couraillassent trop, elles devraient se calmer. If they barked too much, they would need to calm down.

Other Conjugations for Courailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb courailler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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