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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abîmer

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of abîmer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb abîmer is “to damage” or “to ruin.” The infinitive form of abîmer is pronounced “ah-bee-may.”

The word abîmer comes from the Latin word “abymare,” meaning “to sink.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or situation in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense with their English translations:

1) Il fallait que tu n’abîmes pas ma voiture. (It was necessary for you not to damage my car.)
2) Je craignais que la pluie n’abîmât mes vêtements. (I was afraid that the rain would ruin my clothes.)
3) Il était content que personne n’abîmât son jardin. (He was happy that no one damaged his garden.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je abîmasse Si j’étais riche, je abîmasse tout ce que j’achetais. If I were rich, I would damage everything I bought.
tu abîmasses Si tu m’écoutais, tu abîmasses moins de choses. If you listened to me, you would damage less things.
il abîmât Il serait malheureux si il abîmât sa voiture. He would be unhappy if he damaged his car.
elle abîmât Elle serait triste si elle abîmât son téléphone. She would be sad if she damaged her phone.
on abîmât Si on abîmât moins, on n’aurait pas autant de problèmes. If one damaged less, one wouldn’t have as many problems.
nous abîmassions Si nous abîmassions nos affaires, on en rachèterait plus. If we damaged our things, we would have to buy more.
vous abîmassiez Si vous abîmassiez moins, vous économiseriez de l’argent. If you damaged less, you would save money.
ils abîmassent S’ils abîmassent tout, ils devront tout remplacer. If they damage everything, they will have to replace everything.
elles abîmassent Si elles abîmassent leur amitié, elles ne pourraient plus être amies. If they damage their friendship, they could no longer be friends.

Other Conjugations for Abîmer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abîmer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the abîmer Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply