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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb emboucher

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The English translation of the French verb emboucher is “to mouth” or “to put into one’s mouth.” The infinitive form is pronounced as ahm-buh-shay.

The word emboucher comes from the Latin word “imbuccare” meaning “to put into a sack” and is derived from the Old French word “bouchier” meaning “to close with a cork.”

In everyday French, the verb emboucher is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a possibility or doubt in the past. It is mainly used in formal or literary language.

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que je l’embouchasse avant qu’il ne dise quelque chose de déplacé. (I had to shut him up before he said something inappropriate.)

  2. Je ne pensais pas qu’elle embouchât mon frère dans cette affaire. (I didn’t think she would involve my brother in this matter.)

  3. Il était important que nous l’embouchions sur le sujet de la réunion. (It was important that we bring up the subject of the meeting to him.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je embouchasse Si j’étais musicien, je embouchasse bien le trompette. If I were a musician, I would play the trumpet well.
tu embouchasses Si tu prenais des leçons, tu embouchasses mieux. If you took lessons, you would play better.
il embouchât Il serait impressionné si il embouchât parfaitement. He would be impressed if he played perfectly.
elle embouchât Elle serait heureuse si elle embouchât le saxophone. She would be happy if she played the saxophone.
on embouchât Si on embouchât l’instrument correctement, on pourrait jouer de la musique. If one played the instrument correctly, one could make music.
nous embouchassions Si nous embouchassions ensemble, nous formerions un orchestre. If we played together, we would form an orchestra.
vous embouchassiez Si vous embouchassiez mieux, vous seriez acceptés dans l’orchestre. If you played better, you would be accepted into the orchestra.
ils embouchassent S’ils embouchassent avec plus de passion, ils deviendraient de bons musiciens. If they played with more passion, they would become good musicians.
elles embouchassent Si elles embouchassent des instruments différents, ça serait plus intéressant. If they played different instruments, it would be more interesting.

Other Conjugations for Emboucher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb emboucher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Emboucher – 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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