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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cravater

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The English translation of the French verb cravater is “to knot/tie a tie.” The infinitive form is pronounced “krah-vah-teh.”

The word “cravater” comes from the French word “cravate,” meaning “tie.” It 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.

Three examples of cravater in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense and their English translations are:

  1. Je voulais qu’il cravatât sa cravate avant de sortir. (I wanted him to tie his tie before going out.)
  2. Il était important que je cravatasse correctement pour l’entretien d’embauche. (It was important that I properly knot my tie for the job interview.)
  3. Les parents insistaient pour que leur fils cravatât sa cravate tous les jours pour l’école. (The parents insisted that their son tie his tie every day for school.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cravatasse Elle demandait que je cravatasse avant de partir. She asked that I tie my tie before leaving.
tu cravatasses Je ne crois pas que tu cravatasses pour le mariage. I don’t think you would tie your tie for the wedding.
il cravatât Il serait fier si il cravatât correctement. He would be proud if he tied his tie properly.
elle cravatât Si elle cravatât avec soin, elle n’aurait pas l’air négligée. If she tied her tie carefully, she wouldn’t look sloppy.
on cravatât Il est important qu’on cravatât avant la réunion. It’s important that one ties their tie before the meeting.
nous cravatassions Si nous cravatassions tous les jours, nous serions plus habillés. If we tied our ties every day, we would be more dressed up.
vous cravatassiez Si vous cravatassiez avant de sortir, vous auriez l’air plus élégant. If you tied your tie before going out, you would look more elegant.
ils cravatassent Elle souhaitait que vous cravatassent avec des couleurs vives. She wished that you tied your ties with bright colors.
elles cravatassent Si elles cravatassent en essayant de nouvelles techniques, elles progresseraient. If they tied their ties while trying new techniques, they would make progress.

Other Conjugations for Cravater.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cravater
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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