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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb apparenter

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The English translation of the French verb apparenter is “to associate” or “to liken.” It is pronounced [a.pa.ʁɑ̃.te] in its infinitive form.

The verb apparenter comes from the Latin word “apparere” meaning “to appear” or “to be visible.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a wish or a hypothetical situation in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense with their respective English translations:

  1. J’aimerais que tu m’apparentes à un personnage de fiction. (I would like you to associate me with a fictional character.)
  2. Il était important que nous apparentions notre entreprise à une cause caritative. (It was important for us to associate our company with a charitable cause.)
  3. On aurait dit qu’il apparentait les différents éléments de son histoire à un puzzle. (It seemed like he was likening the different elements of his story to a puzzle.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je apparentasse Si j’avais des frères et sœurs, je apparentasse plus à eux. If I had siblings, I would resemble them more.
tu apparentasses Si tu étudiais plus l’histoire, tu apparentasses mieux le passé. If you studied history more, you would understand the past better.
il apparentât Il serait heureux si il apparentât à son père. He would be happy if he resembled his father.
elle apparentât Elle serait fière si elle apparentât à sa mère. She would be proud if she resembled her mother.
on apparentât Si on apparentât plus à nos parents, on serait plus proches. If we resembled our parents more, we would be closer.
nous apparentassions Si nous apparentassions plus à nos aïeuls, nous connaîtrions notre histoire. If we resembled our ancestors more, we would know our history.
vous apparentassiez Si vous apparentassiez moins à vos cousins, vous ne seriez pas confus. If you resembled your cousins less, you wouldn’t be confused.
ils apparentassent S’ils apparentassent plus à leur grand-père, ils auraient plus de respect. If they resembled their grandfather more, they would have more respect.
elles apparentassent Si elles apparentassent plus à leur mère, elles seraient plus proches. If they resembled their mother more, they would be closer.

Other Conjugations for Apparenter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb apparenter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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