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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aggraver

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The English translation of the French verb aggraver is “to aggravate” or “to worsen.” It is pronounced ah-grah-vay.

Aggraver comes from the Latin word “aggravare,” meaning “to make heavier or worse.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a past tense that expresses uncertainty or possibility. It is commonly used in situations where the outcome is not certain or in a hypothetical scenario.

Three examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with English translations are:

  1. Si tu avais continué à fumer, ta santé se serait aggravée. (If you had continued to smoke, your health would have worsened.)

  2. Il fallait que j’aggrave les choses en disant la vérité. (I had to aggravate things by telling the truth.)

  3. Je ne voulais pas qu’elle s’aggrave en prenant un médicament non recommandé. (I didn’t want her condition to worsen by taking a non-recommended medication.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aggravasse Si j’étais méchant, je aggravasse mon cas. If I were mean, I would make my case worse.
tu aggravasses Si tu faisais des blagues, tu aggravasses la situation. If you made jokes, you would make the situation worse.
il aggravât Il aurait peur si il aggravât la maladie. He would be scared if he made the illness worse.
elle aggravât Elle serait déçue si elle aggravât ses erreurs. She would be disappointed if she worsened her mistakes.
on aggravât Si on aggravât les inégalités, ça serait dangereux. If one worsened the inequalities, it would be dangerous.
nous aggravassions Si nous aggravassions la situation, ça serait difficile. If we worsened the situation, it would be difficult.
vous aggravassiez Si vous aggravassiez la dispute, elle serait plus grave. If you worsened the argument, it would be more serious.
ils aggravassent S’ils répétaient l’erreur, ils aggravassent leur cas. If they repeated the mistake, they would make their case worse.
elles aggravassent Si elles aggravaient la blessure, ça serait douloureux. If they worsened the injury, it would be painful.

Other Conjugations for Aggraver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aggraver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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