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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abuser

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The English translation of the French verb abuser is “to abuse” or “to take advantage of.” It is pronounced “ah-beu-zay” in the infinitive form.

Abuser comes from the Latin word “abusare,” meaning “to misuse” or “to make bad use of.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain situation in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the conjunction “que.”

Examples:

  1. J’avais peur qu’il n’abuse de sa position de pouvoir. (I was afraid that he would abuse his position of power.)
  2. Il était essentiel que nous n’abusions pas de cette situation délicate. (It was essential that we did not abuse this delicate situation.)
  3. Je regrettais que mes parents n’aient pas vu comment il abusait de moi. (I regretted that my parents did not see how he was abusing me.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je abusasse Si j’étais en colère, je souhaiterais que tu n’abusasses pas de ma patience. If I were angry, I would wish for you not to take advantage of my patience.
tu abusasses Si tu avais du respect, tu ne m’abusasses pas comme ça. If you had respect, you wouldn’t abuse me like that.
il abusât Il aurait aimé que tu abusât de moins de médicaments. He would have liked for you to abuse less medication.
elle abusât Elle aurait été contente si tu abusât de moins de sa gentillesse. She would have been happy if you abused less of her kindness.
on abusât Si on abusât plus souvent, on aurait plus de problèmes. If one abused more often, one would have more problems.
nous abusassions Si nous abusassions plus de tollé, on pourrait trouver une solution. If we made more noise, we could find a solution.
vous abusassiez Si vous abusassiez moins de votre pouvoir, vous seriez plus équilibrés. If you abused less of your power, you would be more balanced.
ils abusassent S’ils abusassent moins de leurs privilèges, ils seraient plus appréciés. If they abused less of their privileges, they would be more appreciated.
elles abusassent Si elles abusassent de ses conseils, elles pourraient réussir. If they abused her advice, they could succeed.

Other Conjugations for Abuser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abuser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Abuser – 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.

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