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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abreuver

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The English translation of the French verb abreuver is “to water” or “to give water to.” The infinitive form of abreuver is pronounced “ah-bruh-vay.”

Abreuver comes from the Old French word “abrevorer” which means “to drink up.” It is derived from the Latin word “absorbeo” meaning “to absorb.”

In everyday French, abreuver is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a desire, hope, or doubt about an action that has not yet been completed. It is also commonly used to express a hypothetical situation.

  1. J’espérais que tu abreuves les plantes avant de partir. (I hoped that you would water the plants before leaving.)

  2. Il fallait que nous abreuvions le cheval avant notre balade. (We had to give water to the horse before our ride.)

  3. Je doutais qu’ils abreuvent les animaux tous les jours. (I doubted that they watered the animals every day.)

  4. I hoped that you would water the plants before leaving.

  5. We had to give water to the horse before our ride.

  6. I doubted that they watered the animals every day.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je abreuvasse Si j’étais assoiffé, je abreuvasse mon corps. If I were thirsty, I would quench my body.
tu abreuvasses Si tu avais soif, tu abreuvasses tes amis aussi. If you were thirsty, you would also quench your friends.
il abreuvât Il serait content si il abreuvât son chien. He would be happy if he watered his dog.
elle abreuvât Elle serait inquiète si elle abreuvât ses plantes. She would be worried if she watered her plants.
on abreuvât Si on ne abreuvât pas les fleurs, elles mourraient. If one did not water the flowers, they would die.
nous abreuvassions Si nous abreuvassions les animaux, ils seraient heureux. If we watered the animals, they would be happy.
vous abreuvassiez Si vous ne abreuvassiez pas la terre, rien ne pousserait. If you did not water the land, nothing would grow.
ils abreuvassent S’ils abreuvassent le jardin, il serait plus vert. If they watered the garden, it would be greener.
elles abreuvassent Si elles abreuvassent les plantes, elles grandiraient plus vite. If they watered the plants, they would grow faster.

Other Conjugations for Abreuver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abreuver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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