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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affermer

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The English translation of the French verb affermer is “to affirm” or “to confirm.” It is pronounced as “ah-fehr-may” in the infinitive form.

The word affermer comes from the Latin word “affirmare,” which means “to strengthen” or “to assert.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three simple examples of using affermer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je lui afferme mon soutien. (I had to affirm my support to him.)
  2. Je souhaitais qu’elle affermît ses propos. (I wished for her to confirm her words.)
  3. Nous préférions que vous affermassiez vos intentions. (We preferred for you to confirm your intentions.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je affermasse Si j’avais de l’argent, je affermasse la propriété. If I had money, I would lease the property.
tu affermasses Si tu avais un meilleur plan, tu affermasses plus de terres. If you had a better plan, you would lease more land.
il affermât Il serait content si il affermât la ferme. He would be happy if he leased the farm.
elle affermât Elle serait surprise si elle affermât à un prix plus bas. She would be surprised if she leased at a lower price.
on affermât Si on affermât les propriétés ensemble, on économiserait de l’argent. If one leased the properties together, one would save money.
nous affermassions Si nous affermassions toutes les terres, nous pourrions agrandir notre exploitation. If we leased all the land, we could expand our operation.
vous affermassiez Si vous affermassiez la terre, vous en seriez le propriétaire. If you leased the land, you would be the owner.
ils affermassent S’ils affermassent la ferme, ils pourraient en faire un commerce prospère. If they leased the farm, they could make it a prosperous business.
elles affermassent Si elles affermassent ensemble, elles pourraient avoir un meilleur prix. If they leased together, they could get a better price.

Other Conjugations for Affermer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affermer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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