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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affliger

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The English translation of the French verb affliger is “to afflict” or “to distress.” The infinitive form, affliger, is pronounced “ah-flee-zhay.”

The word affliger comes from the Latin word “affligere,” meaning “to strike down.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in its modern form since the 16th century.

In everyday French, affliger is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses actions or states that are uncertain, hypothetical, or contrary to reality in the past. It is often used in sentences with “if” clauses or in polite requests.

Here are three simple examples of how affliger is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Si j’eusse su, je ne t’aurais pas affligé. (If I had known, I wouldn’t have distressed you.)
  2. J’aurais préféré que tu ne l’affliges pas avec cette nouvelle. (I would have preferred that you didn’t distress her with this news.)
  3. Il fallait que nous l’affligions pour lui faire comprendre la gravité de la situation. (We had to distress him to make him understand the seriousness of the situation.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je affligeasse Je ne crois pas que je m’affligeasse autant. I don’t think I would be so upset.
tu affligeasses Si tu ne t’inquiétais pas, tu ne t’affligeasses pas. If you didn’t worry, you wouldn’t be upset.
il affligeât J’aurais préféré qu’il affligeât quelqu’un d’autre. I would have preferred him to upset someone else.
elle affligeât Elle serait plus détendue si elle n’affligeât personne. She would be more relaxed if she didn’t upset anyone.
on affligeât Si on n’affligeât pas les gens, on serait plus aimable. If we didn’t upset people, we would be more likeable.
nous affligeassions Si nous n’affligeassions personne, on nous apprécierait plus. If we didn’t upset anyone, people would appreciate us more.
vous affligeassiez Vous vous affligeassiez trop facilement. You get upset too easily.
ils affligeassent S’ils n’affligeassent pas tout le monde, ils se feraient des amis. If they didn’t upset everyone, they would make friends.
elles affligeassent Si elles n’affligeassent pas les autres, elles auraient plus d’amis. If they didn’t upset others, they would have more friends.

Other Conjugations for Affliger.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affliger
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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