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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aliter

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The English translation of the French verb aliter is “to alter” or “to change.” It is pronounced as “ah-lee-teh.”

The word aliter is derived from the Latin word “alter,” meaning “other” or “different.” It entered the French language in the 12th century with the same meaning, and has since evolved to also mean “to modify” or “to transform.”

In every day French, aliter is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is commonly used in phrases or sentences that express a wish, desire, doubt, or emotion.

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu alites ta manière de penser. (I wish you would change your way of thinking.)

  2. Il fallait que j’alitasse mes habitudes alimentaires pour perdre du poids. (I had to alter my eating habits to lose weight.)

  3. Elle souhaitait que son mari alitât son comportement envers elle. (She wished her husband would change his behavior towards her.)

  4. I would have liked for you to alter your way of thinking.

  5. I had to change my eating habits to lose weight.

  6. She wished her husband would change his behavior towards her.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aliterais Si j’étais riche, je aliterais dans des hôtels de luxe. If I were rich, I would stay in luxury hotels.
tu aliterais Si tu étudies plus, tu aliterais dans des hôtels plus chers. If you studied more, you would stay in more expensive hotels.
il aliterait Il serait content si il aliterait dans des chambres propres. He would be happy if he stayed in clean rooms.
elle aliterait Elle serait surprise si elle aliterait dans des hôtels de renom. She would be surprised if she stayed in renowned hotels.
on aliterait Si on aliterait dans des auberges, on économiserait de l’argent. If one stayed in hostels, one would save money.
nous aliterions Si nous alitions à des endroits moins chers, nous aurions plus d’argent pour voyager. If we stayed in cheaper places, we would have more money to travel.
vous aliteriez Si vous alliez dans des hôtels plus luxueux, vous dépenseriez plus d’argent. If you stayed in more luxurious hotels, you would spend more money.
ils aliteraient S’ils aliteraient dans des chambres plus confortables, ils dormiraient mieux. If they stayed in more comfortable rooms, they would sleep better.
elles aliteraient Si elles aliteraient dans des hôtels romantiques, elles passeraient des vacances de rêve. If they stayed in romantic hotels, they would have dream vacations.

Other Conjugations for Aliter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aliter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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