Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb court-circuiter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb court-circuiter

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The English translation of the French verb court-circuiter is “to short-circuit.” The infinitive form is pronounced koo-r see-rcweh-ter.

The language origin of court-circuiter comes from the combination of the French words “court” meaning “short” and “circuiter” meaning “to circuit or go around.” It is most often used in the everyday French language in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are 3 simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Il fallait que je court-circuitasse le système électrique pour réparer la panne. (I had to short-circuit the electrical system to fix the breakdown.)

  2. Si tu avais court-circuité le circuit, nous n’aurions pas eu cette explosion. (If you had short-circuited the circuit, we wouldn’t have had this explosion.)

  3. Il était possible que le court-circuitage soit causé par un câble défectueux. (It was possible that the short-circuiting was caused by a faulty cable.)

Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of court-circuiter

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je court-circuitasse Je ne pouvais pas faire un plan de la ville s’il court-circuitasse. I couldn’t make a map of the city if he short-circuited.
tu court-circuitasses Tu serais en danger si tu court-circuitasses le circuit électrique. You would be in danger if you short-circuited the electrical circuit.
il court-circuitât Il ne ferait pas de bruit si il court-circuitât le système. He wouldn’t make any noise if he short-circuited the system.
elle court-circuitât Elle serait en colère si elle court-circuitât l’ordinateur. She would be angry if she short-circuited the computer.
on court-circuitât On aurait des problèmes si on court-circuitât l’appareil. We would have problems if we short-circuited the device.
nous court-circuitassions Nous n’aurions pas d’électricité si nous court-circuitassions le panneau. We wouldn’t have electricity if we short-circuited the panel.
vous court-circuitassiez Vous feriez disjoncter le système si vous court-circuitassiez. You would cause the system to trip if you short-circuited it.
ils court-circuitassent Ils ne pourraient pas réparer la panne s’ils court-circuitassent. They couldn’t fix the breakdown if they short-circuited it.
elles court-circuitassent Elles seraient responsables si elles court-circuitassent le réseau. They would be responsible if they short-circuited the network.

Other Conjugations for Court-Circuiter.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb court-circuiter
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb court-circuiter
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb court-circuiter
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb court-circuiter
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb court-circuiter
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb court-circuiter
   

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

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb court-circuiter

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb court-circuiter

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb court-circuiter

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb court-circuiter
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb court-circuiter (this article)

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

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb court-circuiter
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb court-circuiter

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb court-circuiter

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb court-circuiter

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Court-Circuiter – 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.

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