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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb acenser

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The English translation of the French verb acenser is “to consecrate.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ah-sehn-say.”

Acenser comes from the Latin verb “accensere,” which means “to kindle” or “to inflame.” In French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense. This tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or state of being in the past.

Here are 3 simple examples of acenser in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que j’acensasse l’autel avant la cérémonie. (It was necessary that I consecrated the altar before the ceremony.)

  2. Si tu avais acensé cette statue, elle ne serait pas tombée en morceaux. (If you had consecrated this statue, it wouldn’t have fallen apart.)

  3. Nous espérions que le prêtre acensât l’église avant notre mariage. (We were hoping that the priest would consecrate the church before our wedding.)

Overall, acenser is most commonly used in religious contexts, to refer to the act of consecrating a person, place, or object to a sacred purpose or deity.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je acensasse Si j’étais riche, je acensasse plus d’argent. If I were rich, I would spend more money.
tu acençasses Si tu étudies plus, tu acençasses mieux. If you studied more, you would spend better.
il acensât Il serait content si il acensât plus de temps en famille. He would be happy if he spent more time with family.
elle acensât Elle serait surprise si elle acensât plus de cadeaux. She would be surprised if she spent more gifts.
on acensât Si on acensât plus, on aurait plus de possibilités. If one spent more, one would have more options.
nous acensassions Si nous acensassions tous les jours, nous serions plus heureux. If we spent every day, we would be happier.
vous acensassiez Si vous acensassiez moins, vous économiseriez plus. If you spent less, you would save more.
ils acensassent S’ils acensassent plus lentement, je comprendrais mieux. If they spent more slowly, I would understand better.
elles acensassent Si elles acensassent ensemble, ça serait excessif. If they spent together, it would be excessive.

Other Conjugations for Acenser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb acenser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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