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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb covoiturer

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The English translation of the French verb covoiturer is “to carpool.” It is pronounced as “ko-vwa-tyuh-ray.”

The word covoiturer is a combination of the prefix “co-” meaning “together” and the verb “voiturer” meaning “to transport by car.” Therefore, covoiturer literally means “to transport together by car.” It was first used in the early 1970s as a response to the growing problem of traffic congestion and pollution. This verb is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

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

  1. Nous cherchions toujours des moyens de réduire notre empreinte carbone, c’est pourquoi nous covoiturions régulièrement pour aller au travail. (We were always looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint, that’s why we used to carpool to go to work.)

  2. Si je gagnais au loto, j’aurais covoituré avec mes collègues pour économiser sur les frais de transport. (If I had won the lottery, I would have carpooled with my colleagues to save on transportation costs.)

  3. Il fallait que nous covoiturions pour rentrer du concert, car il n’y avait pas de transports en commun à cette heure-là. (We had to carpool to go back from the concert, as there were no public transportation at that time.)

In all of these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It conveys the idea that the action of carpooling was not a definite or guaranteed event, but rather a possibility or intention at the time.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je covoiturasse Si j’avais une voiture, je covoiturasse plus souvent. If I had a car, I would carpool more often.
tu covoiturasses Si tu avais une voiture, tu covoiturasses le weekend. If you had a car, you would carpool on weekends.
il covoiturât Il serait écolo si il covoiturât avec ses collègues. He would be environmentally friendly if he carpoolled with his colleagues.
elle covoiturât Elle économiserait de l’argent si elle covoiturât avec des amis. She would save money if she carpoolled with friends.
on covoiturât Si on covoiturât plus, on protégerait l’environnement. If one carpoolled more, one would protect the environment.
nous covoiturassions Si nous covoiturassions ensemble, nous économiserions de l’essence. If we carpoolled together, we would save on gas.
vous covoiturassiez Si vous covoiturassiez avec vos collègues, vous seriez moins fatigués. If you carpoolled with your colleagues, you would be less tired.
ils covoiturassent S’ils covoiturassent plus, ils auraient moins d’émissions de carbone. If they carpoolled more, they would have less carbon emissions.
elles covoiturassent Si elles covoiturassent ensemble, elles économiseraient du temps. If they carpoolled together, they would save time.

Other Conjugations for Covoiturer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb covoiturer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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