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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb agoniser

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The English translation of the French verb agoniser is “to agonize.” It is pronounced “ah-go-nee-zay.”

Agoniser comes from the Greek word “agon” which means “contest” or “struggle.” It entered the French language in the late 19th century and originally referred to the physical or mental suffering of a person. However, it has evolved to also mean a state of intense worry or stress.

In everyday French, agoniser is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the conjunction “que” which means “that.”

Three examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Je craignais qu’il n’agonisât devant l’ampleur de la tâche. (I was afraid that he was agonizing over the magnitude of the task.)
  2. Il fallait que je l’aide à ne pas agoniser en pensant à son avenir. (I had to help him not to agonize over his future.)
  3. Nous regrettions qu’elle agonisât sans espoir de guérison. (We regretted that she was agonizing without hope of recovery.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je agonisasse J’aurais peur si je agonisasse. I would be afraid if I were dying.
tu agonisasses Si tu te blessais, tu agonisasses moins. If you hurt yourself, you would suffer less.
il agonisât Il serait triste si il agonisât longtemps. He would be sad if he suffered for a long time.
elle agonisât Elle serait soulagée si elle agonisât paisiblement. She would be relieved if she died peacefully.
on agonisât Si on agonisât plus lentement, on souffrirait moins. If one died slower, one would suffer less.
nous agonisassions Si nous agonisassions ensemble, ça serait plus facile. If we died together, it would be easier.
vous agonisassiez Si vous vous reposiez plus, vous agonisassiez moins. If you rested more, you would suffer less.
ils agonisassent Si ils se battaient, ils agonisassent plus vite. If they fought, they would die faster.
elles agonisassent Si elles se disputaient, elles agonisassent plus longtemps. If they argued, they would die longer.

Other Conjugations for Agoniser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb agoniser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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