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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb agiter

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The English translation of the French verb agiter is “to shake” or “to stir.” It is pronounced “ah-zhee-tey” in its infinitive form.

The word agiter comes from the Latin word “agitare,” meaning “to set in motion.” It entered the French language in the 12th century.

In everyday French, agiter is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is formed by using the present tense of the verb avoir or être and the past participle of the verb.

Here are 3 simple examples of agiter in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. Je souhaiterais que tu agites le mélange avant de le verser dans la casserole. (I would like you to shake the mixture before pouring it into the pot.)

  2. Il fallait que nous agitions nos drapeaux pour montrer notre soutien à l’équipe de football. (We had to wave our flags to show our support for the football team.)

  3. Je regrettais que vous n’agitiez pas plus fort pour défendre vos droits. (I was sorry that you weren’t shaking harder to defend your rights.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je agitasse Si je gagnais à la loterie, j’agitasse mes amis. If I won the lottery, I would shake my friends.
tu agitasses Si tu avais peur, tu agitasses ta main. If you were scared, you would shake your hand.
il agitât Si il agitât moins, il serait plus calme. If he shook less, he would be calmer.
elle agitât Si elle agitât la bouteille, elle pourrait ouvrir. If she shook the bottle, she could open it.
on agitât Si on agitât trop, on pourrait casser. If one shook too much, one could break.
nous agitassions Si nous agitassions tout le temps, nous serions fatigués. If we shook all the time, we would be tired.
vous agitassiez Si vous agitassiez plus fort, vous pourriez ressentir. If you shook harder, you could feel it.
ils agitassent S’ils agitassent ensemble, ça serait marrant. If they shook together, it would be funny.
elles agitassent Si elles agitassent les branches, les feuilles tomberaient. If they shook the branches, the leaves would fall.

Other Conjugations for Agiter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb agiter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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