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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aiguillonner

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The English translation of the French verb aiguillonner is “to spur on” or “to urge”.

The infinitive form of aiguillonner is pronounced “ay-gwee-yo-nay”.

The language origin of aiguillonner comes from the Old French word “aguillon”, meaning “prick” or “spur”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations, are:

  1. Il fallait que je l’aiguillonnasse pour qu’il finisse ses devoirs. (I had to urge him on so he would finish his homework.)
  2. Si tu m’aiguillonnais plus tôt, j’aurais pu terminer le projet à temps. (If you had spurred me on earlier, I would have been able to finish the project on time.)
  3. Nous aiguillonnerions nos enfants pour qu’ils atteignent leurs objectifs. (We would spur on our children so they can achieve their goals.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aiguillonnasse Si j’étais un cheval, je aiguillonnasse mes jambes pour courir plus vite. If I were a horse, I would spur my legs to run faster.
tu aiguillonnasses Si tu aiguillonnasses plus souvent, tu serais plus efficace. If you spurred more often, you would be more effective.
il aiguillonnât Il serait plus performant s’il aiguillonnât son équipe. He would be more successful if he spurred his team.
elle aiguillonnât Elle deviendrait une meilleure danseuse si elle aiguillonnât ses mouvements. She would become a better dancer if she spurred her movements.
on aiguillonnât Si on aiguillonnât les élèves, ils travailleraient plus dur. If one spurred the students, they would work harder.
nous aiguillonnassions Si nous aiguillonnassions plus souvent, nous atteindrions nos objectifs plus rapidement. If we spurred more often, we would reach our goals faster.
vous aiguillonnassiez Si vous aiguillonnassiez vos équipes, vous obtiendriez de meilleurs résultats. If you spurred your teams, you would achieve better results.
ils aiguillonnassent S’ils aiguillonnassent leur motivation, ils réussiraient mieux. If they spurred their motivation, they would succeed more.
elles aiguillonnassent Si elles aiguillonnassent plus fort, elles seraient plus courageuses. If they spurred harder, they would be more courageous.

Other Conjugations for Aiguillonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aiguillonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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