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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb agacer

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English translation: The English translation of the French verb agacer is “to annoy/irritate/bother.”

Pronunciation: [a-ga-se]

Language origin: Agacer comes from the Old French word “gaschier,” meaning “to tire out/weary.” It was later influenced by the word “gâcher,” meaning “to spoil/ruin,” and took on its current meaning of “to annoy/irritate/bother” in the 16th century.

Usage in Subjonctif Imparfait tense: In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, agacer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in conjunction with verbs like “pouvoir” (to be able to), “devoir” (to have to), or “vouloir” (to want) to express a desire, obligation, or possibility.

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que je l’agace pour qu’elle me remarque. (I had to annoy her for her to notice me.)

  2. Tu voulais que je t’agace avant de partir. (You wanted me to annoy you before leaving.)

  3. Il aurait pu m’agacer avec ses commentaires. (He could have annoyed me with his comments.)

English translations:

  1. I had to annoy her for her to notice me.
  2. You wanted me to annoy you before leaving.
  3. He could have annoyed me with his comments.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je agaçasse Si j’étais seul, je agaçasse tous les jours. If I were alone, I would annoy every day.
tu agaçasses Si tu restais silencieux, tu agaçasses moins. If you stayed quiet, you would annoy less.
il agaçât Il serait énervé si il agaçât les autres. He would be annoyed if he annoyed others.
elle agaçât Elle serait en colère si elle agaçât son frère. She would be angry if she annoyed her brother.
on agaçât Si on agaçât moins, on serait plus agréable. If one annoyed less, one would be more pleasant.
nous agaçassions Si nous agaçassions les voisins, ils se plaindraient. If we annoyed the neighbors, they would complain.
vous agaçassiez Si vous agaçassiez les enfants, ils vous ignoreraient. If you annoyed the children, they would ignore you.
ils agaçassent S’ils agaçassent leur mère, elle pourrait se fâcher. If they annoyed their mother, she might get angry.
elles agaçassent Si elles agaçassent leur ami, il pourrait les quitter. If they annoyed their friend, he might leave them.

Other Conjugations for Agacer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb agacer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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