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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affirmer

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of affirmer. 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 affirmer is “to affirm” or “to assert.” It is pronounced as ah-fee-mehr.

The word affirmer comes from the Latin word affirmare, which means “to declare positively.” In everyday French, it is most often used to express a confident statement or belief.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, affirmer is used to express a statement or belief that is not certain or hypothetical. It is often used after a verb or expression that expresses doubt or uncertainty.

Examples:
1) Il fallait que je l’affirme. (It was necessary for me to affirm it.)
2) Je doutais qu’il l’affirmât. (I doubted that he affirmed it.)
3) Si je l’affirmais, tu ne me croirais pas. (If I were to affirm it, you wouldn’t believe me.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je affirmasse Si j’avais su, je affirmasse mon opinion. If I had known, I would have affirmed my opinion.
tu affirmasses Si tu étais plus sûr, tu affirmasses tes croyances. If you were more confident, you would affirm your beliefs.
il affirmât Si il travaillait plus, il affirmât ses compétences. If he worked more, he would affirm his skills.
elle affirmât Si elle avait raison, elle affirmât ses propos. If she was right, she would affirm her statements.
on affirmât Si on étudiait mieux, on affirmât ses connaissances. If one studied better, one would affirm their knowledge.
nous affirmassions Si nous étions d’accord, nous affirmassions ensemble. If we agreed, we would affirm together.
vous affirmassiez Si vous étiez présents, vous affirmassiez votre présence. If you were present, you would affirm your presence.
ils affirmassent S’ils lisaient plus, ils affirmassent leurs opinions. If they read more, they would affirm their opinions.
elles affirmassent Si elles étaient d’accord, elles affirmassent leurs choix. If they agreed, they would affirm their choices.

Other Conjugations for Affirmer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affirmer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 affirmer Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply