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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb accélérer

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The English translation of the French verb accélérer is “to accelerate” or “to speed up.” It is pronounced “ah-seh-leh-reh.”

Accélérer comes from the Latin word “accelerare” which means “to hasten” or “to quicken.” It entered the French language in the 16th century.

In everyday French, accélérer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a possibility or uncertainty in the past. This tense is formed by using the subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of accélérer.

Three simple examples of accélérer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je m’accélère pour arriver à l’heure. (I had to speed up to arrive on time.)

  2. Nous souhaitions que tu accélérasses le processus de recrutement. (We wished for you to accelerate the hiring process.)

  3. Il était essentiel que vous vous accélérassiez pour terminer le projet à temps. (It was essential for you to speed up to finish the project on time.)

In these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a desire, need, or importance for the action of accelerating to happen in the past. The verb accélérer is conjugated differently depending on the subject and time period being referred to.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je accélérasse Si j’avais un vélo, je l’accélérasse. If I had a bike, I would accelerate it.
tu accélérasses Si tu accélérasses, tu arriverais plus vite. If you accelerated, you would arrive faster.
il accélérât Il serait content si il accélérât. He would be happy if he accelerated.
elle accélérât Elle serait surprise si elle accélérât. She would be surprised if she accelerated.
on accélérât Si on accélérât, on irait plus vite. If one accelerated, one would go faster.
nous accélérassions Si nous accélérassions, nous arriverions à temps. If we accelerated, we would arrive on time.
vous accélérassiez Si vous accélérassiez, vous économiseriez de l’essence. If you accelerated, you would save on gas.
ils accélérassent S’ils accélérassent, ils éviteraient les bouchons. If they accelerated, they would avoid traffic jams.
elles accélérassent Si elles accélérassent, elles pourraient rattraper leur retard. If they accelerated, they could catch up on their delay.

Other Conjugations for Accélérer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accélérer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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