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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embourber

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The English translation of the French verb embourber is “to get bogged down”. The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced as ahn-boo-behr.

The word embourber comes from the combination of the prefix “em-” which means “in” or “into”, and the word “bourbe” which means “mud”. This verb is often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action or situation in the past.

Examples:

  1. Je craignais que le tracteur ne s’embourbe dans le champ boueux. (I was afraid that the tractor would get bogged down in the muddy field.)

  2. Il fallait que nous ne nous embourbions pas dans les détails. (We had to avoid getting bogged down in the details.)

  3. La voiture risquait de s’embourber dans le sable mou. (The car was at risk of getting bogged down in the soft sand.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je embourbasse Si j’étais plus prudent, je n’embourbasse pas ma voiture. If I were more careful, I would not get my car stuck in the mud.
tu embourbasses Si tu achetais un 4×4, tu embourbasses moins souvent. If you bought a 4×4, you would not get stuck in the mud as often.
il embourbât Il éviterait de s’embourbât s’il connaissait mieux la région. He would avoid getting stuck if he knew the area better.
elle embourbât Elle s’en sortirait sans s’embourbât si elle n’avait pas peur. She would get out of it without getting stuck if she was not afraid.
on embourbât Si on roulait sur la route principale, on ne s’embourbât pas. If one drove on the main road, one would not get stuck.
nous embourbassions Si nous avions de meilleures pneus, nous embourbassions moins. If we had better tires, we would not get stuck as often.
vous embourbassiez Si vous appreniez à conduire sur terrain boueux, vous embourbassiez moins. If you learned to drive on muddy terrain, you would not get stuck as often.
ils embourbassent S’ils avaient un bon treuil, ils n’embourbassent jamais. If they had a good winch, they would never get stuck.
elles embourbassent Si elles étaient plus expérimentées, elles n’embourbassent jamais. If they were more experienced, they would never get stuck.

Other Conjugations for Embourber.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embourber
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Embourber – 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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