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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affubler

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The English translation of the French verb affubler is “to dress up” or “to adorn.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ah-fyoo-bley.”

The origin of the word affubler can be traced back to the Old French word “affubler,” which means “to equip” or “to dress up.” It comes from the prefix “af-” meaning “to” and the verb “fubler” meaning “to dress.” In everyday French, affubler is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is typically used to express a hypothetical or uncertain situation in the past.

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que je m’affuble d’une tenue élégante pour le mariage. (I had to dress up in an elegant outfit for the wedding.)

  2. Nous pensions que tu t’affublais de costumes extravagants pour te démarquer. (We thought that you used to dress up in extravagant costumes to stand out.)

  3. Elles souhaitaient que nous nous affublions de bijoux pour la soirée. (They wanted us to dress up with jewelry for the party.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je affublasse Je serais content si je affublasse un chapeau ridicule. I would be happy if I wore a ridiculous hat.
tu affublasses Si tu affublasses mieux, tu aurais l’air plus élégant. If you dressed better, you would look more elegant.
il affublât Il serait surpris si il affublât un costume de clown. He would be surprised if he wore a clown costume.
elle affublât Elle se sentirait ridicule si elle affublât d’une barbe. She would feel ridiculous if she wore a beard.
on affublât Si on affublât un chapeau de cow-boy, on serait décalé. If one wore a cowboy hat, one would look out of place.
nous affublassions Si nous affublassions des accessoires, notre costume serait complet. If we added accessories, our costume would be complete.
vous affublassiez Si vous affublassiez des chaussures de clown, vous seriez drôle. If you wore clown shoes, you would be funny.
ils affublassent S’ils affublassent des lunettes, ils auraient l’air intelligent. If they wore glasses, they would look smart.
elles affublassent Si elles affublassent des chapeaux de sorcière, elles seraient effrayantes. If they wore witch hats, they would be scary.

Other Conjugations for Affubler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affubler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Affubler – 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.

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