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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb crouler

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The English translation of the French verb crouler is “to crumble” or “to collapse.” It is pronounced “kroo-lay” in its infinitive form.

The origin of the word crouler can be traced back to the Latin word “craculare” meaning “to crack” or “to break.” It also shares roots with the Old French word “croûler” which means “to fall down” or “to collapse.”

In everyday French, crouler is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a possibility or hypothetical situation in the past. It is often accompanied by the conjunction “que” and follows the same conjugation as regular -er verbs in the subjonctif imparfait.

Three examples of crouler in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il craignait que la maison ne croule sous le poids de la neige. (He feared that the house would crumble under the weight of the snow.)

  2. Je priais pour que le mur ne croulât pas sur nous. (I prayed that the wall would not collapse on us.)

  3. Nous avions peur que le pont ne croulât sous le poids des voitures. (We were afraid that the bridge would crumble under the weight of the cars.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je croulasse Si j’avais plus de travail, je croulasse sous les tâches. If I had more work, I would be swamped with tasks.
tu croulasses Si tu te reposais plus, tu croulasses encore plus vite. If you rested more, you would collapse even faster.
il croulât Il serait heureux si il croulât de richesse. He would be happy if he were overflowing with wealth.
elle croulât Elle serait triste si elle croulât sous les dettes. She would be sad if she were buried under debts.
on croulât Si on croulât sous les cadeaux, on serait gâté. If one were overwhelmed with gifts, one would be spoiled.
nous croulassions Si nous croulassions sous le poids du monde, nous ferions face. If we were crushed under the weight of the world, we would cope.
vous croulassiez Si vous croulassiez de fatigue, vous pourriez vous reposer. If you were collapsing from fatigue, you could rest.
ils croulassent S’ils croulassent sous les pressions, ils pourraient s’effondrer. If they were crumbling under pressure, they could collapse.
elles croulassent Si elles croulassent de vieillesse, ça serait triste. If they were falling apart from old age, it would be sad.

Other Conjugations for Crouler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb crouler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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