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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb alerter

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The English translation of the French verb alerter is “to alert” or “to warn.” It is pronounced “ah-lehr-teh” in its infinitive form.

The verb alerter comes from the French word “alerte,” which means “alarm” or “alert.” It ultimately derives from the Italian verb “allertare” which means “to put on guard.”

In everyday French, the verb alerter is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain situation in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Je craignais que tu ne m’alertes pas à temps. (I was afraid that you wouldn’t warn me on time.)
  2. Il était important que nous les alertions sur les risques. (It was important that we alerted them about the risks.)
  3. Elle souhaitait que je l’alerte en cas de danger. (She wished that I would alert her in case of danger.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je alertasse Si j’étais en danger, je alertasse les autorités. If I were in danger, I would alert the authorities.
tu alertasses Si tu avais vu quelque chose de suspect, tu alertasses la police. If you had seen something suspicious, you would alert the police.
il alertât Il serait préférable que il alertât les gens en cas d’urgence. It would be preferable for him to alert people in case of emergency.
elle alertât Elle n’aurait pas peur si elle alertât ses voisins. She wouldn’t be afraid if she alerted her neighbors.
on alertât Si on alertât rapidement, on pourrait éviter le pire. If one alerted quickly, we could avoid the worst.
nous alertassions Si nous alertassions les autorités, peut-être pourraient-elles nous aider. If we alerted the authorities, maybe they could help us.
vous alertassiez Si vous alertassiez vos amis, ils pourraient vous aider. If you alerted your friends, they could help you.
ils alertassent S’ils alertassent les pompiers, ils pourraient éteindre le feu. If they alerted the firefighters, they could put out the fire.
elles alertassent Si elles alertassent les gens, ils pourraient s’échapper. If they alerted people, they could escape.

Other Conjugations for Alerter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb alerter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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