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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embreler

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The English translation of the French verb embreler is “to tangle” or “to entangle.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahm-breh-lay.”

The word embreler comes from the Old French word “enbreler,” which also meant “to tangle.” It is derived from the Latin word “implicare,” meaning “to entangle.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a possibility or hypothetical action.

Examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je ne m’embrele pas dans mes mensonges. (I had to not tangle myself in my lies.)
  2. J’espérais qu’elle ne s’embrelât pas dans ses sentiments contradictoires. (I hoped she wouldn’t tangle herself in her conflicting feelings.)
  3. Il était possible que nous nous embrelions dans cette affaire compliquée. (It was possible that we would tangle ourselves in this complicated matter.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je embrelasse Je ne serais pas contente si je embrelasse toutes les taches. I would not be happy if I tangled all the tasks.
tu embrelasses Si tu embrelasses les fils, tu auras du temps pour toi. If you tangle the threads, you will have time for yourself.
il embrelât Il faudrait qu’il embrelât ses cheveux pour changer de style. He would have to tangle his hair to change his style.
elle embrelât Elle aurait beaucoup de travail si elle embrelât les chains. She would have a lot of work if she tangled the chains.
on embrelât Ce serait un problème si on embrelât les cordes de cette façon. It would be a problem if one tangled the ropes like that.
nous embrelassions Si nous embrelassions toutes les prises, nous étions prêts. If we tangled all the catches, we were ready.
vous embrelassiez Si vous embrelassiez les câbles, vous pourriez les démêler. If you tangled the cables, you could untangle them.
ils embrelassent S’ils embrelassent leurs idées, ils pourraient trouver une solution. If they tangled their ideas, they could find a solution.
elles embrelassent Si elles embrelassent les fils, elles seraient encore plus mêlées. If they tangled the threads, they would be even more tangled.

Other Conjugations for Embreler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embreler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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