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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb amuser

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The English translation of the French verb amuser is “to amuse”. The infinitive form, “amuser”, is pronounced as ah-moo-zay.

Amuser comes from the Old French word “amusier”, which means “to entertain” or “to please”. It is derived from the Latin word “mūsāre”, which means “to move emotionally” or “to divert”. In everyday French, amuser is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are 3 simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu t’amuses à la fête hier soir. (I wished you had fun at the party last night.)
  2. Il fallait que nous nous amusions avant de partir. (We had to have fun before leaving.)
  3. Elle voulait que vous vous amusiez avec elle à la plage. (She wanted you to have fun with her at the beach.)

In all of these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a desire, wish, or necessity in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the word “que” to introduce the subordinate clause. In English, the same tense is expressed using “would” or “should” in the past tense.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je m’amusasse Si je m’amusasse, j’oublierais mes soucis. If I were having fun, I would forget my worries.
tu t’amusasses Si tu t’amusasses plus souvent, tu serais plus heureux. If you had fun more often, you would be happier.
il s’amusât Il serait cool si il s’amusât autant que nous. It would be cool if he had as much fun as us.
elle s’amusât Elle serait plus détendue si elle s’amusât plus. She would be more relaxed if she had more fun.
on s’amusât Si on s’amusât ensemble, on aurait plus de plaisir. If we had fun together, we would have more fun.
nous nous amusassions Si nous nous amusassions, nous serions plus heureux. If we had fun, we would be happier.
vous vous amusassiez Si vous vous amusassiez plus, vous vous détendriez. If you had more fun, you would relax.
ils s’amusassent S’ils s’amusassent plus, ils seraient plus heureux. If they had more fun, they would be happier.
elles s’amusassent Si elles s’amusassent ensemble, ce serait amusant. If they had fun together, it would be fun.

Other Conjugations for Amuser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb amuser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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