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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb criailler

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The English translation of the French verb criailler is “to squawk” or “to yell.” The infinitive form, criailler, is pronounced “kree-ai-yay.”

Criailler comes from the Old French word “criaillier,” meaning “to scream” or “to shout.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a subjective or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Je souhaitais que les enfants ne criaillent pas trop fort. (I wished that the children wouldn’t squawk too loudly.)
  2. Il était important que les voisins ne criaillent pas sur le quartier. (It was important that the neighbors didn’t yell about the neighborhood.)
  3. Elle craignait que ses frères et sœurs criaillent pendant le dîner. (She was afraid that her brothers and sisters would squawk during dinner.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je criaillasse Si j’étais plus calme, je criaillasse moins. If I were calmer, I would yell less.
tu criaillasses Si tu ne criaillasses pas autant, tu passerais un meilleur examen. If you didn’t yell so much, you would pass the test better.
il criaillât Il serait surpris si il criaillât, puisque ça ne lui ressemble pas. He would be surprised if he yelled, since it’s not like him.
elle criaillât Elle serait en colère si elle criaillât toute la nuit. She would be angry if she yelled all night.
on criaillât Si on criaillât moins fort, on pourrait entendre la musique. If one yelled less loudly, one could hear the music.
nous criaillassions Si nous criaillassions tout le temps, nos voisins seraient furieux. If we yelled all the time, our neighbors would be furious.
vous criaillassiez Si vous criailllassiez moins, je dormirais mieux. If you yelled less, I would sleep better.
ils criaillassent S’ils criailllassent moins fort, je pourrais me concentrer. If they yelled less loudly, I could concentrate.
elles criaillassent Si elles criailllassent plus fort, ça serait très bruyant. If they yelled louder, it would be very noisy.

Other Conjugations for Criailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb criailler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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