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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb amasser

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The English translation of the French verb amasser is “to amass” or “to gather”. The infinitive form is pronounced “ah-mah-say”.

The word amasser comes from the French word “masse” which means “mass” or “heap”. It originated from the Latin word “massa” meaning “lump” or “mass”. In everyday French, amasser is most often used to describe the action of gathering or accumulating something in a large quantity.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, amasser is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage with the respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait qu’il amassât plus d’argent pour pouvoir acheter une nouvelle voiture. (He needed to amass more money in order to buy a new car.)
  2. Je voulais que tu amassasses tous les documents avant la réunion. (I wanted you to gather all the documents before the meeting.)
  3. Il était important que nous amassassions suffisamment de vivres pour le voyage. (It was important for us to gather enough food for the trip.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je amassasse Si j’étais riche, je amassasse plus d’argent. If I were rich, I would amass more money.
tu amassasses Si tu économisais plus, tu amassasses plus vite. If you saved more, you would amass faster.
il amassât Il serait heureux si il amassât assez d’argent pour voyager. He would be happy if he amassed enough money to travel.
elle amassât Elle serait contente si elle amassât une fortune. She would be content if she amassed a fortune.
on amassât Si on amassât assez d’or, on serait riche. If one amassed enough gold, one would be rich.
nous amassassions Si nous amassassions des fonds, nous pourrions aider les autres. If we amassed funds, we could help others.
vous amassassiez Si vous amassassiez plus, vous pourriez réaliser vos rêves. If you amassed more, you could achieve your dreams.
ils amassassent S’ils amassassent plus d’expérience, ils auraient plus de succès. If they amassed more experience, they would have more success.
elles amassassent Si elles amassassent assez de richesse, elles pourraient vivre confortablement. If they amassed enough wealth, they could live comfortably.

Other Conjugations for Amasser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb amasser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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