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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb acharner

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The English translation of the French verb acharner is “to relentlessly pursue” or “to be determined to.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ah-shar-nay.”

The word acharner comes from the Latin word “acernare,” which means “to make bitter.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense include:

  1. Il fallait que je m’acharne pour trouver un emploi. (I had to relentlessly pursue to find a job.)
  2. Nous étions déterminés à nous acharner pour sauver l’entreprise. (We were determined to relentlessly pursue in order to save the company.)
  3. Il aurait été préférable que tu t’acharnes plus pour réussir tes études. (It would have been better if you had relentlessly pursued more to succeed in your studies.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je acharnasse Je travaillerais dur si je m’acharnasse plus. I would work hard if I tried harder.
tu acharnasses Si tu t’acharnasses plus, tu réussirais. If you tried harder, you would succeed.
il acharnât Il serait plus efficace s’il s’acharnât moins. He would be more efficient if he tried less.
elle acharnât Elle prendrait une pause s’elle s’acharnât moins. She would take a break if she tried less.
on acharnât Si on s’acharnât moins, on serait plus détendu. If one tried less, one would be more relaxed.
nous acharnassions Si nous nous acharnassions plus, nous atteindrions nos objectifs. If we tried harder, we would achieve our goals.
vous acharnassiez Si vous vous acharnassiez plus, vous accéléreriez le processus. If you tried harder, you would speed up the process.
ils acharnassent S’ils s’acharnassent moins, ils auraient plus de temps libre. If they tried less, they would have more free time.
elles acharnassent Si elles s’acharnassent plus, elles atteindraient leurs buts plus rapidement. If they tried harder, they would achieve their goals faster.

Other Conjugations for Acharner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb acharner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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