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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affaisser

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The English translation of the French verb affaisser is “to sag” or “to droop.” It is pronounced “ah-feh-say.”

Affaisser comes from the Old French word “afais,” meaning “to make or cause to fall.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples:

  1. Il était important que je n’affaissasse pas sous la pression. (It was important that I didn’t sag under pressure.)
  2. Nous avions peur qu’elle affaissât en courant si vite. (We were afraid she would sag while running so fast.)
  3. Il fallait que vous ne vous affaissiez pas avant la fin de la compétition. (You had to not sag before the end of the competition.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je affaissasse Si j’étais fatigué, je affaissasse sur le canapé. If I were tired, I would slump on the couch.
tu affaissasses Si tu ne te reposais pas, tu affaissasses ta posture. If you didn’t rest, you would slouch your posture.
il affaissât Il serait mieux s’il affaissât son poids sur ses pieds. He would be better if he distributed his weight on his feet.
elle affaissât Elle serait plus confortable si elle affaissât sur le lit. She would be more comfortable if she slumped on the bed.
on affaissât Il serait mieux si on s’affaissât vers l’avant en faisant du yoga. It would be better if one slumped forward while doing yoga.
nous affaissassions Si nous ne faisions pas de pause, nous affaissassions sur nos livres. If we didn’t take breaks, we would slump over our books.
vous affaissassiez Si vous étiez fatigués, vous affaissassiez vos épaules. If you were tired, you would sag your shoulders.
ils affaissassent S’ils ne se retenaient pas, ils affaissassent sous la pression. If they didn’t hold back, they would collapse under pressure.
elles affaissassent Si elles ne s’affaissaient pas, elles trébucheraient. If they didn’t slump, they would stumble.

Other Conjugations for Affaisser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaisser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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