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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cultiver

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The English translation of the French verb cultiver is “to cultivate.” The infinitive form, cultiver, is pronounced as “kool-tee-vay.”

Cultiver comes from the Latin verb “cultivare,” which means “to till, cultivate, or foster.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait (Imperfect Subjunctive) tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Example 1:
French: Il fallait que j’cultivasse mon jardin.
English: I had to cultivate my garden.

Example 2:
French: Je souhaitais que tu cultivasses tes talents artistiques.
English: I wished for you to cultivate your artistic talents.

Example 3:
French: Nous aimerions que vous cultivassiez une attitude positive.
English: We would like for you to cultivate a positive attitude.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cultivasse Si j’avais un jardin, je cultivasse des légumes. If I had a garden, I would grow vegetables.
tu cultivasses Si tu avais une serre, tu cultivasses des plantes exotiques. If you had a greenhouse, you would grow exotic plants.
il cultivât Il serait heureux si il cultivât des fleurs. He would be happy if he grew flowers.
elle cultivât Elle serait fière si elle cultivât des fruits. She would be proud if she grew fruits.
on cultivât Si on cultivât ensemble, on pourrait échanger nos récoltes. If one grew together, one could exchange our harvests.
nous cultivassions Si nous cultivassions notre propre nourriture, nous pourrions manger sainement. If we grew our own food, we could eat healthily.
vous cultivassiez Si vous cultivassiez plus, vous pourriez vendre vos produits sur le marché. If you grew more, you could sell your products at the market.
ils cultivassent S’ils cultivassent leur jardin, ils pourraient économiser de l’argent. If they grew their garden, they could save money.
elles cultivassent Si elles cultivassent des herbes, elles pourraient faire leur propre tisane. If they grew herbs, they could make their own tea.

Other Conjugations for Cultiver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cultiver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Cultiver – 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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