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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb courber

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The English translation of the French verb courber is “to bend” or “to curve.” It is pronounced as “koor-bay.”

Courber comes from the Latin word “curvare,” meaning “to make curved.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples of its usage in this tense include:

  1. Il fallait que je courbe la tige pour la faire entrer dans le vase. (I had to bend the stem to fit it into the vase.)
  2. Elle préférait que tu courbes tes opinions pour éviter les conflits. (She preferred that you bend your opinions to avoid conflicts.)
  3. Nous voulions que vous courbiez l’échine devant les autorités. (We wanted you to bend your back in front of the authorities.)

In these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait form of courber (courbe/courbies/courbions/courbiez/courbent) expresses a past hypothetical action, desire, or demand.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je courbasse Si j’étais plus souple, je courbasse facilement. If I were more flexible, I would easily bend.
tu courbasses Si tu te penches plus, tu courbasses plus. If you lean more, you bend more.
il courbât Il serait satisfait si il courbât l’épine dorsale. He would be satisfied if he bent his spine.
elle courbât Elle serait inquiète si elle courbât trop. She would be worried if she bent too much.
on courbât Si on courbât plus, on pourrait atteindre plus loin. If one bent more, one could reach further.
nous courbassions Si nous courbassions en avant, nous pourrions voir mieux. If we bent forward, we could see better.
vous courbassiez Si vous courbassiez trop, vous pourriez vous faire mal. If you bent too much, you could hurt yourself.
ils courbassent S’ils courbassent ensemble, ils pourraient toucher le sol. If they bent together, they could touch the ground.
elles courbassent Si elles courbassent en arrière, ça serait difficile. If they bent backwards, it would be difficult.

Other Conjugations for Courber.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb courber
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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