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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abonner

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The English translation of the French verb abonner is “to subscribe.” It is pronounced as “ah-baw-nay.”

The word abonner comes from the Latin word “abonare,” meaning “to register or record.” It entered the French language in the 14th century.

In everyday French, abonner is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is typically used in conditional sentences or after certain expressions.

Here are three simple examples of abonner being used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Je voudrais que tu t’abonnes à ce magazine. (I would like you to subscribe to this magazine.)

  2. Il fallait que nous nous abonnions avant la date limite. (We had to subscribe before the deadline.)

  3. Il était important que vous vous abonniez à cette chaîne pour suivre les derniers événements. (It was important for you to subscribe to this channel to follow the latest events.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je m’abonnasse Si je gagnais au loto, je m’abonnasse à tous les magasines. If I won the lottery, I would subscribe to all the magazines.
tu t’abonnasses Tu devrais être fier si tu t’abonnasses à ce journal. You should be proud if you subscribed to this newspaper.
il s’abonnât Il serait content si il s’abonnât à cette chaîne YouTube. He would be happy if he subscribed to this YouTube channel.
elle s’abonnât Elle serait heureuse si elle s’abonnât à cette newsletter. She would be happy if she subscribed to this newsletter.
on s’abonnât Si on s’abonnât à ce service, on pourrait économiser de l’argent. If one subscribed to this service, one could save money.
nous nous abonnassions Si nous nous abonnassions à ce magazine, nous serions toujours informés. If we subscribed to this magazine, we would always be informed.
vous vous abonnassiez Si vous vous abonnassiez à ce podcast, vous pourriez l’écouter partout. If you subscribed to this podcast, you could listen to it everywhere.
ils s’abonnassent S’ils s’abonnassent à ce journal, ils seraient au courant des nouvelles. If they subscribed to this newspaper, they would be up-to-date with the news.
elles s’abonnassent Si elles s’abonnassent à cette plateforme, elles pourraient regarder des films en ligne. If they subscribed to this platform, they could watch movies online.

Other Conjugations for Abonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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