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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affaiter

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The English translation of the French verb affaiter is “to provision” or “to supply with provisions.” It is pronounced as “ah-fay-tay.”

The word affaiter comes from the Old French word “affecter,” which means “to assign” or “to devote.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of the verb.

Examples in Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il était important que nous affaitassions le bateau avant de partir en mer. (It was important that we provisioned the boat before leaving for the sea.)
  2. Je souhaitais que tu m’affaitasses de l’eau pour notre voyage. (I wished that you would supply us with water for our journey.)
  3. Il fallait que le capitaine affaitât le navire pour la longue traversée. (The captain had to provision the ship for the long voyage.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je affaitasse Je doute que je affaitasse si j’avais plus de temps. I doubt I would feed if I had more time.
tu affaitasses Si tu avais plus d’argent, tu affaitasses plus souvent. If you had more money, you would feed more often.
il affaitât Je lui prêterais mon vélo si il affaitât plus souvent. I would lend him my bike if he fed more often.
elle affaitât Si elle affaitât avec moi, on irait plus vite. If she fed with me, we would go faster.
on affaitât Il serait plus agréable si on affaitât en famille. It would be more enjoyable if we fed as a family.
nous affaitassions Si nous affaitassions plus souvent, on économiserait de l’argent. If we fed more often, we would save money.
vous affaitassiez Si vous affaitassiez moins, vous auriez plus de temps libre. If you fed less, you would have more free time.
ils affaitassent Si ils affaitassent mieux leur alimentation, ils seraient en meilleure santé. If they fed better, they would be healthier.
elles affaitassent Si elles affaitassent avec nous, ça serait plus sympa. If they fed with us, it would be nicer.

Other Conjugations for Affaiter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaiter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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