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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb activer

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The English translation of the French verb activer is “to activate” or “to activate something.” It is pronounced as “ahk-tee-vay” in the infinitive form.

The word activer originated from the Latin word “activare,” which means “to make active.” It first appeared in the French language in the 13th century. In everyday French, activer is most often used to describe the action of starting or causing something to function or become active. It can also refer to stimulating or accelerating a process.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, activer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used with the conjunction “si” (if) to introduce a condition or possibility.

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

  1. J’aurais activé le système de sécurité si j’avais su que vous alliez venir. (I would have activated the security system if I had known you were coming.)
  2. Il serait plus prudent que vous activiez l’alarme avant de partir. (It would be wiser if you activated the alarm before leaving.)
  3. Si nous avions activé le plan d’urgence plus tôt, les dégâts auraient été moins importants. (If we had activated the emergency plan earlier, the damages would have been less significant.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je activasse Si j’avais le temps, je activasse le programme. If I had the time, I would activate the program.
tu activasses Si tu trouves la télécommande, tu activasses la télé. If you find the remote, you would turn on the TV.
il activât Il serait plus heureux s’il activât son réseau social. He would be happier if he activated his social network.
elle activât Elle se sentirait mieux si elle activât l’alarme. She would feel better if she activated the alarm.
on activât Si on activât l’option, on aurait plus de choix. If one activated the option, one would have more choices.
nous activassions Si nous activassions tous les jours, nous serions productifs. If we activated every day, we would be productive.
vous activassiez Si vous activassiez les notifications, vous seriez informé. If you activated the notifications, you would be informed.
ils activassent S’ils activassent leur plan, ils auraient plus de succès. If they activated their plan, they would have more success.
elles activassent Si elles activassent la fonctionnalité, ça serait plus facile. If they activated the feature, it would be easier.

Other Conjugations for Activer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb activer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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