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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb accoucher

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The English translation of the French verb accoucher is “to give birth.” The infinitive form, accoucher, is pronounced “ah-koo-shay.”

Accoucher comes from the French verb accoucher, which means “to deliver” or “to assist with childbirth.” It is derived from the Latin word “accouchere,” which means “to lie down” or “to give birth.”

In everyday French, accoucher is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense when talking about a hypothetical or uncertain situation in the past. This tense is often used in polite or formal speech.

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

  1. Il fallait que je vous accouchasse à la maternité. (I had to take you to the maternity ward.)
  2. J’aurais aimé que vous accouchiez sans complications. (I would have liked for you to give birth without complications.)
  3. Elle voulait que j’accouche dans l’eau. (She wanted me to give birth in the water.)

English translations:

  1. I had to take you to the maternity ward.
  2. I would have liked for you to give birth without complications.
  3. She wanted me to give birth in the water.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je accouchasse Si j’avais peur d’accoucher, je n’accouchasse jamais. If I were afraid of giving birth, I would never give birth.
tu accouchasses Si tu accouchasses plus tôt, tu rentrerais à la maison plus tôt. If you gave birth earlier, you would come home earlier.
il accouchât Il serait heureux si il accouchât avec sa femme. He would be happy if he gave birth with his wife.
elle accouchât Elle serait soulagée si elle accouchât sans complications. She would be relieved if she gave birth without complications.
on accouchât Si on accouchât à la maison, on économiserait de l’argent. If one gave birth at home, one would save money.
nous accouchassions Si nous accouchassions ensemble, nous nous soutiendrions. If we gave birth together, we would support each other.
vous accouchassiez Si vous accouchassiez dans l’eau, ça serait moins douloureux. If you gave birth in water, it would be less painful.
ils accouchassent S’ils accouchassent plus fréquemment, ils auraient plus d’enfants. If they gave birth more frequently, they would have more children.
elles accouchassent Si elles accouchassent au même moment, ce serait pratique. If they gave birth at the same time, it would be convenient.

Other Conjugations for Accoucher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accoucher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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