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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embouer

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The English translation of the French verb embouer is “to muddy” or “to make muddy.” The infinitive form is pronounced as ahn-boo-ay.

Embouer comes from the Old French word “emboier,” meaning “to enclose” or “to shut in.” It is most often used in every day French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je n’embouasse pas mes chaussures en marchant dans la boue. (I had to make sure I didn’t muddy my shoes while walking in the mud.)

  2. Nous aurions aimé qu’il n’embouât pas l’eau de la rivière en se baignant. (We would have liked him to not muddy the river water while swimming.)

  3. Il était important que vous n’embouiez pas la peinture fraîche en marchant sur le sol. (It was important for you to not muddy the fresh paint by walking on the floor.)

English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je n’embouasse pas mes chaussures en marchant dans la boue. (I had to make sure I didn’t muddy my shoes while walking in the mud.)

  2. Nous aurions aimé qu’il n’embouât pas l’eau de la rivière en se baignant. (We would have liked him to not muddy the river water while swimming.)

  3. Il était important que vous n’embouiez pas la peinture fraîche en marchant sur le sol. (It was important for you to not muddy the fresh paint by walking on the floor.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je embouasse Il était temps que je l’embouasse. It was time for me to embouer it.
tu embouasses Il faudrait que tu embouasses plus doucement. You should embouer more gently.
il embouât Je ne crois pas qu’il embouât toute la place. I don’t think he emboued the entire place.
elle embouât Elle était contente que elle embouât tout. She was happy that she emboued everything.
on embouât Il serait mieux si on embouât le sol avant de marcher. It would be better if one emboued the ground before walking.
nous embouassions Nous aimerions que nous embouassions plus souvent. We would like to embouer more often.
vous embouassiez Vous préféreriez que vous embouassiez plus près. You would prefer to embouer closer.
ils embouassent Je ne suis pas sûr qu’ils embouassent bien le lac. I’m not sure they emboued the lake well.
elles embouassent Elle avait peur qu’elles embouassent toute la forêt. She was afraid they would embouer the whole forest.

Other Conjugations for Embouer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embouer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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