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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embrocher

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The English translation of the French verb embrocher is “to skewer” or “to impale.” It is pronounced as “ahm-broh-shay” in its infinitive form.

The language origin of embrocher comes from the old French word “broche” meaning “spit” or “skewer.” It is most often used in everyday 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, with their respective English translations, are:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu embroches les légumes avant de les faire griller. (I wished that you skewered the vegetables before grilling them.)
  2. Il fallait que nous embrochions la viande pour éviter qu’elle ne brûle sur le feu. (We had to skewer the meat to prevent it from burning on the fire.)
  3. Elle aurait préféré que vous n’embrochiez pas les brochettes car elle est végétarienne. (She would have preferred that you didn’t skewer the kebabs because she is vegetarian.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je embrochasse Je serais content si j’embrochasse bien la viande. I would be happy if I skewered the meat well.
tu embrochasses Si tu embrochasses les légumes, je les mangerais. If you skewered the vegetables, I would eat them.
il embrochât Il suggéra que les brochettes embrochât rapidement. He suggested that the skewers were skewered quickly.
elle embrochât Elle serait déçue si elle embrochât les morceaux trop petits. She would be disappointed if she skewered the pieces too small.
on embrochât Si on embrochât le poulet, ça serait prêt en 10 minutes. If one skewered the chicken, it would be ready in 10 minutes.
nous embrochassions Si nous embrochassions les crevettes, nous les grillerions. If we skewered the shrimp, we would grill them.
vous embrochassiez Si vous embrochassiez les fruits, ils seraient plus faciles à manger. If you skewered the fruits, they would be easier to eat.
ils embrochassent S’ils embrochassent la viande, je n’en mangerais pas. If they skewered the meat, I wouldn’t eat it.
elles embrochassent Si elles embrochassent les légumes, ça serait un bon repas végétarien. If they skewered the vegetables, it would be a good vegetarian meal.

Other Conjugations for Embrocher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embrocher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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