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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb créneler

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The English translation of the French verb créneler is “to crenellate” or “to create battlements”. It is pronounced “kreh-nuh-leh”.

The language origin of créneler comes from the Old French word “cresnel”, meaning “notched”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a subjunctive mood used to express uncertainty or hypothetical situations in the past.

Here are three simple examples of créneler used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que le mur soit crénelé pour protéger le château. (It was necessary for the wall to be crenellated to protect the castle.)
  2. J’aurais préféré qu’ils aient crénelé le toit pour donner un aspect plus médiéval à la maison. (I would have preferred for them to have crenellated the roof to give the house a more medieval look.)
  3. Si nous avions crénelé les remparts, ils auraient été plus difficiles à conquérir. (If we had crenellated the ramparts, they would have been more difficult to conquer.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je crénelasse Si j’étais défenseur, je crénelasse toute la journée. If I were a defender, I would crenelate all day.
tu crénelasses Si tu ne crénelasses pas plus vite, on va perdre. If you don’t crenelate faster, we’re going to lose.
il crénelât Il serait plus facile si il crénelât avant qu’il neige. It would be easier if he crenelated before it snowed.
elle crénelât Elle ne serait pas heureuse si elle crénelât au soleil. She wouldn’t be happy if she crenelated in the sun.
on crénelât Si on crénelât avant, on pourrait prendre la colline. If one crenelated before, we could take the hill.
nous crénelassions Si nous crénelassions ensemble, ça serait plus rapide. If we crenelated together, it would be faster.
vous crénelassiez Si vous crénelassiez plus haut, vous pourriez voir plus loin. If you crenelated higher, you could see further.
ils crénelassent S’ils ne crénelassent pas assez, ils seront attaqués. If they don’t crenelate enough, they will be attacked.
elles crénelassent Si elles crénelassent mieux, elles pourraient se défendre. If they crenelated better, they could defend themselves.

Other Conjugations for Créneler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb créneler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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