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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb accoutrer

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The English translation of the French verb accoutrer is “to dress up” or “to outfit.” It is pronounced /a.ku.tʁe/ in the infinitive form.

Accoutrer comes from the Old French word “acoustrer,” which means “to equip” or “to dress.” It evolved from the Latin word “consuere,” which also means “to dress” or “to prepare.” In everyday French, accoutrer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

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

  1. Il fallait que je m’accoutrasse pour la soirée. (I needed to dress up for the party.)
  2. Elle souhaitait que sa fille s’accoutrât plus élégamment. (She wished her daughter would dress up more elegantly.)
  3. Nous aurions aimé que vous vous accoutriez en tenue de soirée. (We would have liked for you to dress up in formal attire.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je accoutrasse Si j’étais riche, je m’accoutrasse de vêtements de luxe. If I were rich, I would dress in luxurious clothes.
tu accoutrasses Si tu avais le choix, tu t’accoutrasses en noir. If you had the choice, you would dress in black.
il accoutrât Il serait élégant s’il s’accoutrât en costume. He would be elegant if he dressed in a suit.
elle accoutrât Elle serait belle si elle s’accoutrât avec goût. She would be beautiful if she dressed tastefully.
on accoutrât Si on s’accoutrât avec des couleurs vives, on attirerait l’attention. If one dressed in bright colors, one would attract attention.
nous accoutrassions Si nous nous accoutrassions de manière originale, nous serions remarqués. If we dressed in an original way, we would be noticed.
vous accoutrassiez Si vous vous accoutrassiez plus élégamment, vous feriez bonne impression. If you dressed more elegantly, you would make a good impression.
ils accoutrassent S’ils s’accoutrassent de manière décontractée, ils seraient plus à l’aise. If they dressed casually, they would be more comfortable.
elles accoutrassent Si elles s’accoutrassent avec des bijoux brillants, elles attireraient les regards. If they dressed with shiny jewelry, they would attract attention.

Other Conjugations for Accoutrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accoutrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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