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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aciérer

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The English translation of the French verb aciérer is “to harden” or “to make tougher”. It is pronounced “ah-see-ay-EH”.

The word aciérer comes from the French word “acier”, meaning “steel”. It is derived from the Latin word “acies”, which also means “steel”.

In everyday French, aciérer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or state. It is used after expressions of doubt, possibility, or desire.

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

  1. Il était important que tu aciérasses tes arguments avant de les présenter. (It was important that you hardened your arguments before presenting them.)
  2. Je souhaitais que mes élèves acièrent leur esprit critique. (I wished that my students would toughen their critical thinking skills.)
  3. Ils préféraient que le gouvernement n’aciérât pas sa position face à la grève. (They preferred that the government did not harden its stance against the strike.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aciérasse Je serais heureux si je aciérasse mieux. I would be happy if I sharpened better.
tu aciérasses Si tu aciérasses plus, tu aurais moins de problèmes. If you sharpened more, you would have fewer problems.
il aciérât Il serait content s’il aciérât plus souvent. He would be happy if he sharpened more often.
elle aciérât Elle serait satisfaite si elle aciérât plus rapidement. She would be satisfied if she sharpened more quickly.
on aciérât Si on aciérât plus fort, on réussirait mieux. If one sharpened harder, one would succeed better.
nous aciérassions Si nous aciérassions en équipe, ça irait plus vite. If we sharpened as a team, it would go faster.
vous aciérassiez Si vous aciérassiez ensemble, vous seriez plus efficaces. If you sharpened together, you would be more efficient.
ils aciérassent S’ils aciérassent plus souvent, ils seraient plus performants. If they sharpened more often, they would be more efficient.
elles aciérassent Si elles aciérassent avec soin, leurs couteaux seraient plus tranchants. If they sharpened carefully, their knives would be sharper.

Other Conjugations for Aciérer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aciérer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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