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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb accorder

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The English translation of the French verb accorder is “to grant” or “to accord.” It is pronounced as [ah-kor-deh] in its infinitive form.

Accorder comes from the Latin word “accordare,” meaning “to agree.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je t’accorde cette faveur. (I had to grant you this favor.)

  2. Je souhaitais que tu m’accordasses un peu plus de temps. (I wished you would grant me a little more time.)

  3. Il était nécessaire que nous leur accordions cette opportunité. (It was necessary for us to grant them this opportunity.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je accordasse Si j’étais toi, je n’accordasse pas avec lui. If I were you, I wouldn’t agree with him.
tu accordasses Si tu avais raison, tu accordasses avec moi. If you were right, you would agree with me.
il accordât Il serait heureux si il accordât ses idées avec les autres. He would be happy if he aligned his ideas with others.
elle accordât Elle serait satisfaite si elle accordât ses actions avec ses valeurs. She would be satisfied if she aligned her actions with her values.
on accordât Si on accordât plus d’importance à l’environnement, on vivrait mieux. If one gave more importance to the environment, one would live better.
nous accordassions Si nous accordassions nos opinions, nous pourrions trouver un compromis. If we aligned our opinions, we could find a compromise.
vous accordassiez Si vous accordassiez votre emploi du temps, vous auriez plus de temps libre. If you organized your schedule, you would have more free time.
ils accordassent S’ils accordassent leurs opinions, ils pourraient trouver une solution. If they aligned their opinions, they could find a solution.
elles accordassent Si elles accordassent leurs tenues, elles seraient plus élégantes. If they matched their outfits, they would be more elegant.

Other Conjugations for Accorder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accorder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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