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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embobeliner

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The English translation of the French verb embobeliner is “to flatter” or “to butter up.” It is pronounced as “ahm-boh-buh-lee-neh.”

The word “embobeliner” comes from the verb “bobeliner” which means “to deceive” or “to swindle” in Old French. Over time, the prefix “em-” was added to give it a more positive connotation, transforming it into “embobeliner,” which means “to flatter.”

In everyday French, embobeliner is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in polite or formal speech, or when someone wants to express a sense of doubt or hesitation.

Examples:

  1. Il était évident qu’il m’embobelinait pour obtenir une faveur. (It was obvious he was trying to butter me up to get a favor.)
  2. Je ne crois pas qu’elle embobelinât son patron pour obtenir une promotion. (I don’t believe she would flatter her boss to get a promotion.)
  3. Ils voulaient qu’on les embobelinât pour qu’ils acceptent de signer le contrat. (They wanted us to flatter them so they would agree to sign the contract.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je embobelinasse Si j’étais un magicien, je embobelinasse le public avec mes tours. If I were a magician, I would dazzle the audience with my tricks.
tu embobelinasses Si tu avais un costume, tu embobelinasses les enfants pour Halloween. If you had a costume, you would trick the children for Halloween.
il embobelinât Il serait heureux si il embobelinât sa femme avec des cadeaux. He would be happy if he charmed his wife with gifts.
elle embobelinât Elle serait surprise si elle embobelinât les invités avec ses histoires. She would be surprised if she entertained the guests with her stories.
on embobelinât Si on embobelinât les clients, ils dépenseraient plus. If one charmed the clients, they would spend more.
nous embobelinassions Si nous embobelinassions tout le monde, on nous adorerait. If we charmed everyone, we would be adored.
vous embobelinassiez Si vous embobelinassiez votre patron, vous pourriez obtenir une promotion. If you charmed your boss, you could get a promotion.
ils embobelinassent S’ils embobelinassent les juges, ils pourraient éviter la prison. If they charmed the judges, they could avoid prison.
elles embobelinassent Si elles embobelinassent le public, elles pourraient réussir en tant qu’actrices. If they charmed the audience, they could succeed as actresses.

Other Conjugations for Embobeliner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embobeliner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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