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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb acérer

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The English translation of the French verb acérer is “to sharpen” or “to intensify.” It is pronounced as “ah-seh-ray”.

The word acérer comes from the Latin word acer, which means “sharp” or “keen.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three examples of acérer used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que j’acérasse mes compétences pour obtenir ce poste. (I had to sharpen my skills to get this job.)

  2. Si tu acérais ton étude des langues étrangères, tu pourrais voyager partout dans le monde. (If you were to intensify your study of foreign languages, you could travel all over the world.)

  3. Nous acérions nos arguments pour persuader nos parents de nous laisser aller au concert. (We were sharpening our arguments to convince our parents to let us go to the concert.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je acerasse Si j’étais plus rapide, je acerasse plus fort. If I were faster, I would sharpen more.
tu acérasses Si tu acérasses plus, tu obtiendrais de meilleurs résultats. If you sharpened more, you would get better results.
il acérât Il serait content si il acérât mieux. He would be happy if he sharpened better.
elle acérât Elle pourrait gagner si elle acérât plus tôt. She could win if she sharpened earlier.
on acérât Si on acérât les couteaux, ils couperaient mieux. If one sharpened the knives, they would cut better.
nous acérassions Si nous acérassions les crayons, ils écriraient mieux. If we sharpened the pencils, they would write better.
vous acérassiez Si vous acérassiez les lames, elles couperaient plus facilement. If you sharpened the blades, they would cut more easily.
ils acérassent Si ils acérassent les couteaux, ils seraient plus utiles. If they sharpened the knives, they would be more useful.
elles acérassent S’il y avait un concours, elles acérassent leurs compétences. If there was a competition, they would sharpen their skills.

Other Conjugations for Acérer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb acérer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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