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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embouteiller

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The English translation of the French verb embouteiller is “to bottle” or “to cork.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahm-boo-tay-ee-yay.”

The language origin of embouteiller comes from the French word “bouteille” meaning “bottle.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a past tense used for uncertain or hypothetical situations.

Three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu embouteilles le vin pour la fête. (I wished for you to bottle the wine for the party.)
  2. Il fallait que nous embouteillions la nouvelle sauce dans des bocaux. (We had to bottle the new sauce in jars.)
  3. J’aurais préféré que vous n’embouteilliez pas autant de confiture. (I would have preferred for you not to bottle so much jam.)

English translations:

  1. I wished for you to bottle the wine for the party.
  2. We had to bottle the new sauce in jars.
  3. I would have preferred for you not to bottle so much jam.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je embouteillasse Si j’avais plus de temps, je embouteillasse moins. If I had more time, I would bottle up less.
tu embouteillasses Si tu embarquais plus tôt, tu embouteillasses moins. If you boarded earlier, there would be less bottlenecks.
il embouteillât Il éviterait des retards si il embouteillât moins. He would avoid delays if he bottled up less.
elle embouteillât Elle serait plus détendue si elle embouteillât moins. She would be more relaxed if she bottled up less.
on embouteillât Si on embouteillât plus efficacement, on gagnerait du temps. If one bottled up more efficiently, one would save time.
nous embouteillassions Si nous embouteillassions pas autant, on serait moins stressés. If we didn’t bottle up as much, we would be less stressed.
vous embouteillassiez Si vous embouteillassiez moins, vous seriez plus rapides. If you bottled up less, you would be faster.
ils embouteillassent S’ils embouteillassent moins, ça irait plus vite. If they bottled up less, it would go faster.
elles embouteillassent Si elles embouteillassent moins, il y aurait moins de tensions. If they bottled up less, there would be less tension.

Other Conjugations for Embouteiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embouteiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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