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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abonder

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of abonder. 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 abonder is “to abound” or “to be abundant”. The infinitive form of abonder is pronounced “ah-bon-day”.

The word abonder comes from the Latin word “abundare”, meaning “to overflow” or “to be plentiful”. It entered the French language in the 12th century.

In everyday French, abonder is most often used in the subjonctif imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is commonly used to express abundance, plenty, or a large quantity of something.

Here are three examples of using abonder in the subjonctif imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je trouvasse un nouveau fournisseur, car mes stocks n’abondaient pas. (I had to find a new supplier, because my stocks were not abundant.)

  2. Elle souhaitait que son jardin abondât en légumes frais toute l’année. (She wished her garden would abound in fresh vegetables all year round.)

  3. Il était important que nous cherchassions une solution pour que l’eau abondât à nouveau dans le village. (It was important for us to find a solution so that water would abound in the village again.)

Overall, abonder is used to express a desire, need, or importance for something to be abundant or plentiful in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je abondasse Il faudrait que je abondasse en espérance. I would need to abound in hope.
tu abondasses J’aimerais que tu abondasses dans cette activité. I would like you to abound in this activity.
il abondât Il serait content si il abondât en travail. He would be happy if he abounded in work.
elle abondât Elle serait surprise si elle abondât en connaissances. She would be surprised if she abounded in knowledge.
on abondât Si on abondât en patience, on serait plus tolérants. If one abounded in patience, one would be more tolerant.
nous abondassions Nous réussirions si nous abondassions en courage. We would succeed if we abounded in courage.
vous abondassiez Si vous abondassiez en excuses, je serais content. If you abounded in excuses, I would be happy.
ils abondassent S’ils abondassent en efforts, ils obtiendraient de meilleurs résultats. If they abounded in efforts, they would achieve better results.
elles abondassent Si elles abondassent en énergie, elles accompliraient plus. If they abounded in energy, they would accomplish more.

Other Conjugations for Abonder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abonder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 abonder Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply