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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aérer

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The English translation of the French verb aérer is “to air” or “to ventilate.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ay-eh-ray.”

The language origin of aérer comes from the Latin word “aer,” meaning “air.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or situation in the past.

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

  1. Il fallait que j’aérasse la chambre avant que mes parents n’arrivent. (I had to air out the room before my parents arrived.)
  2. Je souhaitais que tu aérasses la voiture avant notre départ. (I wanted you to air out the car before we left.)
  3. Ils préféraient que nous aérassions la salle de réunion avant la réunion. (They preferred that we air out the meeting room before the meeting.)

English translations:

  1. It was necessary that I aired out the room before my parents arrived.
  2. I wished that you aired out the car before our departure.
  3. They preferred that we aired out the meeting room before the meeting.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aérasse Je serais content si j’aérasse plus. I would be happy if I aired more.
tu aérasse Si tu aérasse la chambre, ça serait propre. If you aired the room, it would be clean.
il aérât Il serait mieux si il aérât la pièce. It would be better if he aired the room.
elle aérât Si elle aérât la maison, ça sentirait bon. If she aired the house, it would smell good.
on aérât Si on aérât la pièce, ça serait plus frais. If one aired the room, it would be fresher.
nous aérassions Si nous aérassions plus souvent, ça serait bénéfique. If we aired more often, it would be beneficial.
vous aérassiez Si vous aérassiez le linge, ça serait sec. If you aired the laundry, it would be dry.
ils aérassent S’ils aérassent la maison, ça serait plus sain. If they aired the house, it would be healthier.
elles aérassent Si elles aérassent la chambre, ça serait plus agréable. If they aired the room, it would be more pleasant.

Other Conjugations for Aérer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aérer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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