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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb adapter

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The English translation of the French verb adapter is “to adapt.” The infinitive form, adapter, is pronounced “ah-dap-tay.”

The language origin of adapter can be traced back to the Latin word “adaptare,” which means “to fit.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a possibility or hypothetical situation in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais su, j’aurais pu m’adapter à la situation. (If I had known, I could have adapted to the situation.)

  2. Il fallait que tu t’adaptes à leur culture pour être accepté. (You had to adapt to their culture to be accepted.)

  3. Nous souhaitions qu’il s’adapte à son nouvel environnement. (We wanted him to adapt to his new environment.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je adaptasse Si j’avais su, je adaptasse ma réponse. If I had known, I would have adapted my response.
tu adaptasses Si tu avais écouté, tu adaptasses mieux. If you had listened, you would have adapted better.
il adaptât Il serait content si il adaptât ses habitudes. He would be happy if he adapted his habits.
elle adaptât Elle serait surprise si elle adaptât son comportement. She would be surprised if she adapted her behavior.
on adaptât Si on adaptât nos méthodes, on aurait de meilleurs résultats. If one adapted our methods, we would have better results.
nous adaptassions Si nous adaptassions nos horaires, nous pourrions voyager plus. If we adapted our schedules, we could travel more.
vous adaptassiez Si vous adaptassiez vos attentes, vous seriez plus satisfait. If you adapted your expectations, you would be more satisfied.
ils adaptassent S’ils adaptassent leur plan, il serait plus efficace. If they adapted their plan, it would be more efficient.
elles adaptassent Si elles adaptassent leur routine, elles seraient moins stressées. If they adapted their routine, they would be less stressed.

Other Conjugations for Adapter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adapter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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