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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embarder

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The English translation of the French verb embarder is “to veer” or “to swerve.” It is pronounced as [ɑ̃baʁde].

The origin of the word embarder can be traced back to the Old French word “enbarrer,” which means “to block” or “to obstruct.” In modern French, it is most often used in its infinitive form and means “to make a sudden change of direction” or “to lose control and swerve.”

In everyday French, the verb embarder is commonly used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or event in the past. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Imparfait tense followed by the past participle of the verb.

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

  1. Je craignais qu’il n’embardât subitement sur la route mouillée.
    (I was afraid he would suddenly veer on the wet road.)

  2. Il fallait que nous embardassions brusquement pour éviter l’accident.
    (We had to suddenly swerve to avoid the accident.)

  3. Si tu n’avais pas freiné à temps, vous embarderiez tous les deux.
    (If you hadn’t braked in time, you both would have veered off.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je embardasse Je préfère que je embardasse un peu plus. I prefer that I swerve a little more.
tu embardasses Si tu embardasses moins, tu éviterais les accidents. If you swerved less, you would avoid accidents.
il embardât Il faudrait qu’il embardât après le rond-point. He should swerve after the roundabout.
elle embardât Elle ne serait pas content si elle embardât trop souvent. She wouldn’t be happy if she swerved too often.
on embardât Si on embardât trop souvent, ça pourrait être dangereux. If one swerved too often, it could be dangerous.
nous embardassions Si nous embardassions ensemble, nous aurions un accident. If we swerved together, we would have an accident.
vous embardassiez Il faudrait que vous embardassiez plus souvent. You should swerve more often.
ils embardassent S’ils embardassent moins, ils éviteraient les collisions. If they swerved less, they would avoid collisions.
elles embardassent Si elles embardassent mieux, elles auraient moins de blessés. If they swerved better, they would have fewer injuries.

Other Conjugations for Embarder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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