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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affleurer

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of affleurer. 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 affleurer is “to approach/to be at the surface”. The infinitive form is pronounced [a.flœ.ʁe].

The word affleurer comes from the French word “fleur” meaning “flower”. It is derived from the Latin word “florere” which means “to bloom”. In everyday French, affleurer is most often used in its Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a possibility or a hypothetical situation.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je l’affleurasse pour qu’il comprenne. (I had to approach him so he would understand.)

  2. Si tu avais de l’argent, tu pouvais t’affleurer à sa richesse. (If you had money, you could have approached his wealth.)

  3. J’aimais que tu m’affleurasses avec tant de douceur. (I liked it when you approached me with such tenderness.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je affleurasse Il serait heureux si je affleurasse à la surface. He would be happy if I surfaced.
tu affleurasses Elle rirait si tu affleurasses le fond. She would laugh if you hit the bottom.
il affleurât Si il affleurât l’eau, il boirait. If he skimmed the water, he would drink.
elle affleurât Si elle affleurât la vase, elle prendrait un bain. If she skimmed the mud, she would take a bath.
on affleurât Si on affleurât la crème, on la mangerait. If one skimmed the cream, one would eat it.
nous affleurassions Si nous affleurassions les rochers, nous serions en sécurité. If we skimmed the rocks, we would be safe.
vous affleurassiez Si vous affleurassiez les parois, vous auriez une belle vue. If you skimmed the walls, you would have a beautiful view.
ils affleurassent S’ils affleurassent la neige, ils glisseraient. If they skimmed the snow, they would slide.
elles affleurassent Si elles affleurassent la surface, elles auraient des vagues. If they skimmed the surface, they would have waves.

Other Conjugations for Affleurer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affleurer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 affleurer Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply