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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb allouer

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The English translation of the French verb allouer is “to allocate” or “to assign.” The infinitive form is pronounced ah-loo-eh.

The word originated from the Latin verb “allouare,” meaning “to allow” or “to give permission.”

In everyday French, allouer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a wish, a desire, or a possibility. This tense is used to talk about hypothetical or uncertain situations in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu m’alloues plus de temps pour terminer mon travail. (I wished for you to allocate me more time to finish my work.)

  2. Il fallait que nous vous allouions un budget plus important pour réaliser ce projet. (We needed to allocate a bigger budget for you to complete this project.)

  3. Je regrettais que mon patron ne m’allouât pas de jours de congé supplémentaires. (I regretted that my boss didn’t allocate me extra days off.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je allouasse Je souhaiterais que je allouasse plus de temps pour la lecture. I wish I allocated more time for reading.
tu allouasses Si tu le voulais, tu allouasses plus de fonds pour cette cause. If you wanted to, you would allocate more funds for this cause.
il allouât Il serait content si il allouât plus de ressources à son équipe. He would be happy if he allocated more resources to his team.
elle allouât Elle serait fière si elle allouât plus de temps à son projet. She would be proud if she allocated more time to her project.
on allouât Si on allouât plus de personnes à cette tâche, ça irait plus vite. If more people were allocated to this task, it would go faster.
nous allouassions Si nous allouassions plus de budget à ce projet, il serait plus réussi. If we allocated more budget to this project, it would be more successful.
vous allouassiez Si vous allouassiez plus d’attention à cette question, vous auriez peut-être une réponse. If you paid more attention to this question, you might have an answer.
ils allouassent S’ils allouassent plus de temps à la réflexion, ils feraient de meilleurs choix. If they allocated more time for reflection, they would make better choices.
elles allouassent Si elles allouassent plus de fonds à cette cause, elles pourraient faire une différence. If they allocated more funds to this cause, they could make a difference.

Other Conjugations for Allouer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb allouer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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