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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affectionner

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The English translation of the French verb affectionner is “to be fond of” or “to have a liking for.” The infinitive form is pronounced [a.fɛk.sjɔ.ne].

The word affectionner is derived from the Latin word “afficere,” meaning “to influence” or “to affect.” It entered the French language in the 15th century and is often used in everyday French to express a feeling of fondness or attachment towards someone or something.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, affectionner is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is commonly used in conjunction with the conjunction “que” to express a wish, desire, or emotion.

Here are three examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu m’affectionnes davantage. (I would have liked for you to be more fond of me.)
  2. Il fallait que nous nous affectionnions mutuellement. (It was necessary for us to have a mutual fondness for each other.)
  3. Je souhaitais que mes parents m’affectionnent comme ils affichaient leur amour pour mon frère. (I wished for my parents to have the same fondness for me as they displayed for my brother.)

In these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense conveys a sense of uncertainty or desire, rather than a definite action in the past. It is a more polite and subtle way of expressing one’s feelings.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je affectionnasse Si j’aimais la musique, je affectionnasse les concerts. If I liked music, I would attend concerts.
tu affectionnasses Si tu étudies plus, tu affectionnasses mieux les cours. If you studied more, you would appreciate classes more.
il affectionnât Il serait triste si il affectionnât la mauvaise nourriture. He would be sad if he liked bad food.
elle affectionnât Elle serait heureuse si elle affectionnât les voyages. She would be happy if she enjoyed traveling.
on affectionnât Si on affectionnât les animaux, on pourrait adopter un chien. If one liked animals, one could adopt a dog.
nous affectionnassions Si nous affectionnassions les mêmes films, nous irions ensemble. If we liked the same movies, we would go together.
vous affectionnassiez Si vous affectionnassiez le sport, vous le pratiqueriez plus souvent. If you liked sports, you would practice them more often.
ils affectionnassent S’ils affectionnassent les mêmes hobbies, ils pourraient les partager. If they liked the same hobbies, they could share them.
elles affectionnassent Si elles affectionnassent la lecture, elles pourraient échanger des livres. If they liked reading, they could exchange books.

Other Conjugations for Affectionner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affectionner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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