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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb culbuter

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The English translation of the French verb culbuter is “to tumble” or “to knock down”. It is pronounced as “kool-byoo-tay” in its infinitive form.

The language origin of culbuter can be traced back to the Old French word “culbute”, meaning “a fall” or “a tumble”. It is derived from the Latin word “culbata”, which means “thrown backwards”.

In every day French, culbuter is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or state. This tense is often used in combination with other verbs to convey a wish, doubt, or possibility.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’aimerais que tu ne culbutes pas pendant la course. (I would like you not to tumble during the race.)
  2. Il doutait qu’elle ne culbutât le vase avec sa queue. (He doubted that she would knock over the vase with her tail.)
  3. Nous aurions aimé qu’ils ne nous culbutassent pas si facilement. (We would have liked them not to have tumbled us so easily.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je culbutasse Je culbutasse tous les obstacles pour réussir. I would topple over all obstacles to succeed.
tu culbutasses Si tu culbutasses moins, tu tomberais moins. If you toppled over less, you would fall less.
il culbutât Il préférerait que il culbutât pas du tout. He would prefer if he didn’t topple at all.
elle culbutât Elle se blesserait si elle culbutât en patins. She would hurt herself if she tumbled in skates.
on culbutât Si on culbutât pas, on apprendrait rien. If one didn’t topple, one wouldn’t learn anything.
nous culbutassions Si nous culbutassions ensemble, ça serait amusant. If we toppled over together, it would be fun.
vous culbutassiez Si vous culbutassiez plus souvent, vous auriez moins peur. If you toppled over more often, you would be less scared.
ils culbutassent S’ils culbutassent sur la glace, ils se blesseraient. If they tumbled on the ice, they would hurt themselves.
elles culbutassent Si elles culbutassent en faisant du ski, elles tomberaient souvent. If they tumbled while skiing, they would fall often.

Other Conjugations for Culbuter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culbuter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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