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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embarbouiller

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The English translation of embarbouiller is “to muddle” or “to confuse”. It is pronounced as “ahm-bahr-boo-yay”.

The word embarbouiller is derived from the French noun “barbouille”, which means “smudge” or “mess”. It is formed by adding the prefix “em-” (which adds emphasis) to the verb “barbouiller” (which means “to smudge”). It is most often used in informal or colloquial speech.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, embarbouiller is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the subjunctive mood, which conveys doubt or uncertainty.

Here are three examples of embarbouiller in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Je craignais de l’embarbouiller en lui expliquant le plan. (I was afraid of confusing him by explaining the plan.)

  2. Il aurait fallu que tu ne l’embarbouilles pas avec tes remarques. (You should not have muddled things up with your remarks.)

  3. Elle souhaitait qu’il ne l’embarbouille pas avec ses excuses. (She wished that he would not confuse her with his excuses.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je embarbouillasse Si je n’avais pas de temps, j’embarbouillasse tout. If I didn’t have time, I would mess everything up.
tu embarbouillasses Si tu étais prudent, tu embarbouillasses moins souvent. If you were careful, you wouldn’t mess up as often.
il embarbouillât Il serait content si il embarbouillât moins ses mots. He would be happy if he didn’t stumble over his words.
elle embarbouillât Elle serait ravie si elle embarbouillât moins en public. She would be delighted if she didn’t mess up in public.
on embarbouillât Si on embarbouillât moins, on éviterait les malentendus. If one didn’t mess up as much, we would avoid misunderstandings.
nous embarbouillassions Si nous embarbouillassions nos mots, personne ne comprendrait. If we messed up our words, nobody would understand.
vous embarbouillassiez Si vous embarbouillassiez moins, vous seriez plus clairs. If you didn’t mess up as much, you would be clearer.
ils embarbouillassent S’ils embarbouillassent moins, ils communiqueraient mieux. If they didn’t mess up as much, they would communicate better.
elles embarbouillassent Si elles n’embarbouillassent pas tout, ça serait plus facile. If they didn’t mess everything up, it would be easier.

Other Conjugations for Embarbouiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Embarbouiller – 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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