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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb culminer

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The English translation of the French verb culminer is “to culminate” or “to peak.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “kewl-mee-nay.”

The language origin of culminer is from the Latin word “culmen,” meaning “top” or “summit.” In everyday French, culminer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a past tense used for hypothetical or uncertain situations.

Example 1: Je souhaitais que la soirée culminât avec un feu d’artifice. (I wished for the evening to culminate with a fireworks display.)
Example 2: Il fallait que nous choisissions le moment où la tension culminait pour intervenir. (We had to choose the moment when the tension was peaking to intervene.)
Example 3: Elle avait peur que sa carrière ne culminât pas à la hauteur de ses attentes. (She was afraid that her career wouldn’t reach the peak of her expectations.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je culminasse Je serais heureux si je culminasse demain. I would be happy if I reached the peak tomorrow.
tu culminasses Si tu travaillais plus, tu culminasses plus vite. If you worked more, you would reach the peak faster.
il culminât Il serait satisfait si il culminât plus haut. He would be satisfied if he reached the peak higher.
elle culminât Elle serait fière si elle culminât avec les meilleurs. She would be proud if she reached the peak with the best.
on culminât Si on culminât en même temps, ça serait génial. If one reached the peak at the same time, that would be great.
nous culminassions Si nous culminassions ensemble, ça serait plus facile. If we reached the peak together, it would be easier.
vous culminassiez Si vous culminassiez plus rapidement, vous seriez les premiers. If you reached the peak faster, you would be the first.
ils culminassent S’ils culminassent avec plus d’efforts, ils obtiendraient de meilleurs résultats. If they reached the peak with more effort, they would achieve better results.
elles culminassent Si elles culminassent en même temps, elles se féliciteraient. If they reached the peak at the same time, they would congratulate each other.

Other Conjugations for Culminer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culminer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Culminer – 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.

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