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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aberrer

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The English translation of the French verb aberrer is “to stray” or “to deviate.” It is pronounced “ah-beh-RAY.”

Aberrer comes from the Latin word “aberrare” meaning “to wander away.” It is used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain situation in the past.

Here are three simple examples of aberrer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que tu n’aberrasses pas du chemin. (It was necessary for you not to stray from the path.)

  2. Je craignais qu’il n’aberrât dans ses pensées. (I was afraid that he was straying in his thoughts.)

  3. Nous désirions que vous n’aberrassiez pas de notre plan initial. (We wanted you to not deviate from our initial plan.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aberrasse Je serais très surpris si je l’aberrasse. I would be very surprised if I babbled about it.
tu aberrasses Si tu aberrasses moins, tu comprendrais mieux. If you babbled less, you would understand better.
il aberrât Il serait content si il aberrât en anglais. He would be happy if he babbled in English.
elle aberrât Elle serait surprise si elle aberrât en public. She would be surprised if she babbled in public.
on aberrât Si on aberrât moins, on serait plus cohérent. If one babbled less, one would be more coherent.
nous aberrassions Si nous aberrassions plus, nous serions plus drôles. If we babbled more, we would be funnier.
vous aberrassiez Si vous aberrassiez tout le temps, vous seriez fatigués. If you babbled all the time, you would be tired.
ils aberrassent S’ils aberrassent moins, ils auraient plus de temps libre. If they babbled less, they would have more free time.
elles aberrassent Si elles aberrassent ensemble, ça serait incompréhensible. If they babbled together, it would be incomprehensible.

Other Conjugations for Aberrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aberrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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