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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb accointer

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The English translation of the French verb accointer is “to acquaint” or “to become familiar with.” The infinitive form, accointer, is pronounced as “ah-kwan-tay.”

Accointer comes from the Old French word “acointier,” which is derived from the Latin word “accognitare,” meaning “to recognize” or “to become acquainted with.” It is a regular -er verb in French.

In everyday French, accointer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a wish or a hypothetical situation in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the conditional tense to form a conditional sentence.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je m’accointasse avec mes nouveaux collègues. (It was necessary for me to acquaint myself with my new colleagues.)
  2. Je voulais que tu t’accointasses avec eux avant de prendre une décision. (I wanted you to become acquainted with them before making a decision.)
  3. Si j’avais su, je me serais accointé avec elle plus tôt. (If I had known, I would have acquainted myself with her earlier.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je accointasse Si je pouvais, je m’accointasse avec tous mes voisins. If I could, I would become friends with all my neighbors.
tu accointasses Tu serais heureux si tu t’accointasses avec moi. You would be happy if you befriended me.
il accointât Il se pourrait qu’il s’accointât avec sa nouvelle équipe. He might become friends with his new team.
elle accointât Elle serait surprise si elle s’accointât avec lui. She would be surprised if she befriended him.
on accointât Si on s’accointât davantage, on pourrait se soutenir. If we became friends more, we could support each other.
nous accointassions Si nous accointassions avec d’autres personnes, nous élargirions nos perspectives. If we made friends with other people, we would broaden our horizons.
vous accointassiez Si vous accointassiez avec eux, vous pourriez comprendre leur culture. If you befriended them, you could understand their culture.
ils accointassent S’ils s’accointassent avec leurs voisins, ils auraient plus de soutien. If they befriended their neighbors, they would have more support.
elles accointassent Si elles s’accointassent avec nous, on pourrait faire plus de choses ensemble. If they befriended us, we could do more things together.

Other Conjugations for Accointer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accointer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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