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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abandonner

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The English translation of the French verb “abandonner” is “to abandon” or “to give up.” The infinitive form of “abandonner” is pronounced as “ah-bahn-doh-nay.”

The word “abandonner” comes from the Latin word “abandonare,” which means “to leave behind” or “to desert.” In everyday French, “abandonner” is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express doubt, uncertainty, or unreality.

Here are three examples of “abandonner” in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que tu abandonnasses tes rêves. (You had to give up your dreams.)
  2. Je souhaitais que nous n’abandonnassions pas si facilement. (I wished that we wouldn’t give up so easily.)
  3. Il était nécessaire qu’ils abandonnassent leurs projets. (It was necessary for them to abandon their plans.)

In these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to convey a sense of uncertainty or unreality in regards to the action of abandoning.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je abandonnasse J’aurais peur que je abandonnasse mes rêves. I would be afraid that I would give up my dreams.
tu abandonnasses Tu ne voudrais pas que tu abandonnasses tes études. You wouldn’t want to give up your studies.
il abandonnât Il serait triste si il abandonnât ses amis. He would be sad if he abandoned his friends.
elle abandonnât Elle aurait honte si elle abandonnât son projet. She would be ashamed if she abandoned her project.
on abandonnât Si on abandonnât maintenant, tout serait vain. If one gave up now, everything would be in vain.
nous abandonnassions Si nous abandonnassions nos principes, nous perdions notre identité. If we gave up our principles, we would lose our identity.
vous abandonnassiez Si vous abandonnassiez votre passion, vous regretteriez. If you gave up your passion, you would regret it.
ils abandonnassent Ils ne supporteraient pas que ils abandonnassent leur équipe. They wouldn’t stand the idea of giving up their team.
elles abandonnassent Si elles abandonnassent leurs projets, elles seraient déçues. If they gave up their projects, they would be disappointed.

Other Conjugations for Abandonner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

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

L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

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

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