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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb culer

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The English translation of the French verb culer is “to slide,” “to glide,” or “to slip.” It is pronounced as “ku-leh” in the infinitive form.

The word culer comes from the Latin word “culus” which means “buttocks.” In Old French, it was used to refer to a sliding movement using one’s buttocks. Over time, it evolved to refer to any kind of sliding or gliding movement.

In everyday French, culer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is typically used with expressions of doubt, possibility, or emotion.

Here are three simple examples of culer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je cule pour éviter le chien. (I had to slide to avoid the dog.)
  2. Nous souhaitions que tu cules sur la pente enneigée. (We hoped you would slide on the snowy slope.)
  3. Elle craignait que sa robe cule sur la glace. (She was afraid her dress would slip on the ice.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je culasse Si je savais mieux, je culasse mieux. If I knew better, I would cook better.
tu culasses Si tu me laissais faire, tu culasses mieux. If you let me do it, you would cook better.
il culât Si il avait plus de temps, il culât meilleur. If he had more time, he would cook better.
elle culât Si elle avait plus d’ingrédients, elle culât mieux. If she had more ingredients, she would cook better.
on culât Si on travaillait ensemble, on culât mieux. If we worked together, we would cook better.
nous culassions Si nous avions plus de pratique, nous culassions mieux. If we had more practice, we would cook better.
vous culassiez Si vous aviez plus d’expérience, vous culassiez mieux. If you had more experience, you would cook better.
ils culassent S’ils avaient plus de patience, ils culassent mieux. If they had more patience, they would cook better.
elles culassent Si elles avaient des ustensiles, elles culassent mieux. If they had utensils, they would cook better.

Other Conjugations for Culer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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