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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb afficher

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of afficher. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb afficher is “to display” or “to post.” It is pronounced “ah-feesh-ay.”

Afficher comes from the Old French word “afichier,” which is derived from the Latin word “affigere,” meaning “to attach” or “to fix.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain situation in the past.

Three simple examples of afficher in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations are:

  1. Il fallait que je t’affiche sur le mur. (It was necessary that I displayed you on the wall.)
  2. J’aurais préféré que tu t’affiches moins au lycée. (I would have preferred that you displayed yourself less at school.)
  3. Si tu t’affichais moins, peut-être que les gens te jugeraient moins. (If you displayed yourself less, maybe people would judge you less.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je affichasse Si je ne travaillais pas, j’affichasse mes photos. If I didn’t work, I would display my photos.
tu affichasses Si tu avais le temps, tu affichasses tes dessins. If you had time, you would display your drawings.
il affichât Il serait impressionné si il affichât ses talents. He would be impressed if he displayed his talents.
elle affichât Elle aurait honte si elle affichât ses erreurs. She would be embarrassed if she displayed her mistakes.
on affichât Si on affichât les règles, on éviterait les problèmes. If one displayed the rules, one would avoid problems.
nous affichassions Si nous affichassions nos opinions, nous aurions un meilleur dialogue. If we displayed our opinions, we would have a better dialogue.
vous affichassiez Si vous affichassiez vos émotions, vous seriez plus authentique. If you displayed your emotions, you would be more authentic.
ils affichassent S’ils affichassent leur fierté, ils seraient plus heureux. If they displayed their pride, they would be happier.
elles affichassent Si elles affichassent leur joie, ça serait contagieux. If they displayed their joy, it would be contagious.

Other Conjugations for Afficher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb afficher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the afficher Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply