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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb craquer

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The English translation of the French verb craquer is “to crack” or “to give in.” It is pronounced as “kra-keh” in the infinitive form.

The word craquer comes from the Latin word “cracare” meaning “to make a cracking sound.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or unreal situation in the past.

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

  1. J’aurais craqué si tu avais continué à me faire des reproches. (I would have cracked if you had kept reproaching me.)
  2. Si elle avait su la vérité, elle aurait craqué de colère. (If she had known the truth, she would have cracked in anger.)
  3. Nous n’aurions pas craqué sous la pression si nous avions été mieux préparés. (We wouldn’t have cracked under pressure if we had been better prepared.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je craquasse Si j’étais faible, je craquasse facilement. If I were weak, I would easily give in.
tu craquasses Si tu étais moins pressé, tu craquasses moins souvent. If you were less in a hurry, you wouldn’t give in as often.
il craquât Il serait plus fort s’il craquât moins souvent. He would be stronger if he didn’t give in as often.
elle craquât Elle serait plus déterminée si elle ne craquât pas. She would be more determined if she didn’t give in.
on craquât Si on était plus patient, on craquât moins rapidement. If one were more patient, one wouldn’t give in as quickly.
nous craquassions Si nous craquassions moins souvent, nous serions plus forts. If we didn’t give in as often, we would be stronger.
vous craquassiez Si vous craquassiez facilement, vous seriez plus vulnérable. If you gave in easily, you would be more vulnerable.
ils craquassent S’ils craquassent moins sous la pression, ils seraient plus résistants. If they didn’t give in as much under pressure, they would be more resilient.
elles craquassent Si elles craquassent trop souvent, elles seraient moins déterminées. If they gave in too often, they would be less determined.

Other Conjugations for Craquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb craquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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