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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb draguer

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The English translation of the French verb draguer is “to flirt” or “to hit on.” It is pronounced as “dra-guh-ay.”

The word draguer comes from the nautical term “draguer” which means “to dredge.” It was first used in the 19th century to describe the act of dragging a net or line through water to catch fish. Over time, it took on a figurative meaning and began to be used to describe the act of trying to pick up or seduce someone.

In everyday French, draguer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which conveys a condition, wish, or possibility in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the conjunction “que” to express a desired outcome.

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

  1. Je souhaite que tu me draguasses hier soir à la fête. (I wish you had flirted with me last night at the party.)
  2. Il fallait que j’arrête de draguer cette fille, elle avait l’air désintéressée. (I needed to stop hitting on that girl, she seemed uninterested.)
  3. Nous aurions aimé que vous nous ayez invités à venir draguer avec vous à la plage. (We would have liked it if you had invited us to come flirt with you at the beach.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je draguasse Je serais plus heureux si je draguasse plus souvent. I would be happier if I flirted more often.
tu draguasses Si tu n’avais pas peur, tu draguasses plus. If you weren’t afraid, you would flirt more.
il draguât Il serait plus confiant si il draguât mieux. He would be more confident if he flirted better.
elle draguât Elle serait plus détendue si elle draguât avec assurance. She would be more relaxed if she flirted confidently.
on draguât Si on draguât moins, on serait moins fatigué. If one flirted less, one would be less tired.
nous draguassions Si nous draguassions ensemble, on aurait plus de succès. If we flirted together, we would have more success.
vous draguassiez Si vous draguassiez plus discrètement, vous ne seriez pas pris pour un dragueur. If you flirted more discreetly, you wouldn’t be seen as a flirt.
ils draguassent S’ils draguassent moins, ils seraient plus respectueux. If they flirted less, they would be more respectful.
elles draguassent Si elles draguassent mieux, elles auraient plus de chances. If they flirted better, they would have more chances.

Other Conjugations for Draguer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb draguer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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