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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb ambitionner

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The English translation of ambitionner is “to aspire” or “to have ambition”. It is pronounced “am-bee-see-oh-nay” in its infinitive form.

The verb ambitionner comes from the French noun “ambition” and the suffix -er, which is used to form verbs from nouns. In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a grammatical mood used to express desires, emotions, or hypothetical situations in the past.

Examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. J’aimais que tu ambitionnasses de devenir médecin. (I wished for you to aspire to become a doctor.)
  2. Il fallait qu’elle ambitionnât de partir en voyage. (It was necessary for her to have the ambition to go on a trip.)
  3. Nous souhaitions que vous ambitionnassiez de réussir vos études. (We hoped that you aspired to succeed in your studies.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je ambitionnasse Si j’étais plus confiant, je ambitionnasse un meilleur travail. If I were more confident, I would aspire to a better job.
tu ambitionnasses Si tu travaillais plus, tu ambitionnasses une promotion. If you worked more, you would aspire to a promotion.
il ambitionnât Il serait fier si il ambitionnât une grande réussite professionnelle. He would be proud if he aspired to a great professional success.
elle ambitionnât Elle serait contente si elle ambitionnât un poste à l’étranger. She would be happy if she aspired to a job abroad.
on ambitionnât Si on ambitionnât moins, on serait moins déçu. If one aspired less, one would be less disappointed.
nous ambitionnassions Si nous ambitionnassions plus, nous atteindrions nos objectifs. If we aspired more, we would reach our goals.
vous ambitionnassiez Si vous ambitionnassiez moins, vous stresseriez moins. If you aspired less, you would stress less.
ils ambitionnassent S’ils ambitionnassent plus, ils auraient plus de succès. If they aspired more, they would have more success.
elles ambitionnassent Si elles ambitionnassent ensemble, elles pourraient réaliser de grandes choses. If they aspired together, they could achieve great things.

Other Conjugations for Ambitionner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ambitionner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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