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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aligner

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The English translation of the French verb aligner is “to align.” It is pronounced “ah-lee-nee-ay.”

The language origin of aligner is from the Old French word “alignier,” which comes from the Latin word “alineare,” meaning “to make straight.” It is most often used in every day French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express doubt, possibility, or hypothetical situations in the past.

Here are three simple examples of how aligner is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense in everyday French:

  1. Si je pouvais aligner tous les crayons dans une seule rangée, ce serait plus facile à trouver. (If I could align all the pencils in a single row, it would be easier to find them.)

  2. J’aurais aimé que tu alignes tous les livres sur l’étagère avant de partir. (I would have liked for you to align all the books on the shelf before leaving.)

  3. Il fallait que nous alignions les chaises pour faire de la place dans la salle. (We had to align the chairs to make space in the room.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je alignasse Je serais contente si je alignasse tout parfaitement. I would be happy if I aligned everything perfectly.
tu alignasses Si tu étais plus précis, tu alignasses mieux. If you were more precise, you would align better.
il alignât Il serait fier s’il alignât toutes les pièces. He would be proud if he aligned all the pieces.
elle alignât Elle serait satisfaite si elle alignât tout en ordre. She would be satisfied if she aligned everything in order.
on alignât Si on s’alignât correctement, il n’y aurait pas de problèmes. If one aligned correctly, there would be no problems.
nous alignassions Si nous alignassions nos pensées, nous serions plus efficaces. If we aligned our thoughts, we would be more effective.
vous alignassiez Si vous alignassiez vos actions, vous atteindriez vos buts plus rapidement. If you aligned your actions, you would reach your goals faster.
ils alignassent S’ils alignassent leur comportement, ils auraient moins de conflits. If they aligned their behavior, they would have less conflicts.
elles alignassent Si elles alignassent leurs opinions, elles pourraient trouver un compromis. If they aligned their opinions, they could find a compromise.

Other Conjugations for Aligner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aligner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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