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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embobiner

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The English translation of the French verb embobiner is “to hoodwink” or “to bamboozle.” The infinitive form is pronounced as ahm-baw-bee-nay.

The language origin of embobiner comes from the combination of the prefix “en-” meaning “in” and the word “bobine” meaning “spool” or “reel.” This verb is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express doubt, uncertainty, or a hypothetical situation.

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

  1. Si je les avais écoutés, ils m’auraient embobiné. (If I had listened to them, they would have hoodwinked me.)
  2. Je ne crois pas qu’il l’ait embobinée avec ses mensonges. (I don’t believe he hoodwinked her with his lies.)
  3. Il était temps que tu te rendes compte qu’ils essaieraient de t’embobiner. (It was time for you to realize that they would try to bamboozle you.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je embobinasse Si j’avais su, je embobinasse tout le monde. If I had known, I would have fooled everyone.
tu embobinasses Si tu ne comprends pas, tu embobinasses tout le monde. If you didn’t understand, you would confuse everyone.
il embobinât Il serait en colère si il embobinât les gens. He would be angry if he tricked people.
elle embobinât Elle serait surprise si elle embobinât bien. She would be surprised if she fooled well.
on embobinât Si on embobinât mieux, on en aurait pas besoin. If one fooled better, one wouldn’t need it.
nous embobinassions Si nous embobinassions tous les jours, on se ferait prendre. If we tricked every day, we would get caught.
vous embobinassiez Si vous embobinassiez mieux, vous seriez plus crédible. If you fooled better, you would be more credible.
ils embobinassent S’ils embobinassent toutes les fois, on ne les croirait plus. If they fooled every time, no one would believe them anymore.
elles embobinassent Si elles embobinassent ensemble, elles feraient une bonne équipe. If they tricked together, they would make a good team.

Other Conjugations for Embobiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embobiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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