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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affoler

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of affoler. 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 affoler is “to panic” or “to drive crazy.” The infinitive form of affoler is pronounced ah-fo-lay.

The verb affoler comes from the Old French word afoler, meaning “to disturb” or “to make mad.” It is derived from the Latin word fallere, which means “to deceive.”

In everyday French, affoler is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or state. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of the verb.

Examples in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je l’affolasse avec mes questions incessantes. (I had to drive him crazy with my incessant questions.)
  2. Elle craignait que la nouvelle ne l’affolât complètement. (She feared that the news would completely panic her.)
  3. Nous cherchions un moyen de ne pas l’affoler avant le grand saut. (We were looking for a way not to panic him before the big jump.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je affolasse Je serais désolé si j’affolasse quelqu’un. I would be sorry if I panicked someone.
tu affolasses Si tu étais plus calme, tu affolasses moins. If you were calmer, you would panic less.
il affolât Il ne voudrait pas que je l’affolât. He wouldn’t want me to panic him.
elle affolât Si elle était plus patiente, elle affolât moins souvent. If she were more patient, she wouldn’t panic as often.
on affolât Si on n’affolât pas les animaux, ils resteraient calmes. If one didn’t panic the animals, they would stay calm.
nous affolassions Si nous n’affolassions pas, tout irait bien. If we didn’t panic, everything would be fine.
vous affolassiez Si vous n’affolassiez pas toujours, vous auriez plus de contrôle. If you didn’t always panic, you would have more control.
ils affolassent S’ils n’affolassent pas les passagers, le vol se passerait bien. If they didn’t panic the passengers, the flight would go smoothly.
elles affolassent Si elles affolassent moins, elles se sentiraient moins stressées. If they panicked less, they would feel less stressed.

Other Conjugations for Affoler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affoler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 affoler Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply