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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb apposer

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The English translation of the French verb apposer is “to affix” or “to apply.” The infinitive form, apposer, is pronounced ah-po-zay.

Apposer comes from the Latin word apponere, meaning “to put on” or “to place near.” It was first used in Middle French in the 15th century.

In everyday French, apposer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a wish or desire, or to express doubt or uncertainty.

Three examples of apposer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu apposasses ta signature sur le contrat. (I wished for you to affix your signature on the contract.)

  2. Il fallait que nous apposions un cachet sur les documents importants. (We had to apply a seal on the important documents.)

  3. J’avais peur qu’elle n’apposât pas sa marque d’approbation. (I was afraid that she would not affix her mark of approval.)

Note: In these examples, the verb apposer is conjugated in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to match the subject of the sentence.

Overall, apposer is a versatile verb that is commonly used in everyday French to express actions of attaching or adding something.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je apposasse J’aimerais que je apposasse ma signature. I wish I could put my signature.
tu apposasses Si tu avais le temps, tu apposasses le sceau. If you had time, you would affix the seal.
il apposât Il serait intéressé si il apposât son nom. He would be interested if he put his name.
elle apposât Elle serait fière si elle apposât son empreinte. She would be proud if she affixed her stamp.
on apposât Si on apposât une affiche, on attirerait plus de monde. If one put up a poster, one would attract more people.
nous apposassions Si nous apposassions nos signatures, ça serait officiel. If we put our signatures, it would be official.
vous apposassiez Si vous apposassiez vos sceaux, vous seriez légaux. If you put your seals, you would be legal.
ils apposassent S’ils apposassent leurs noms, ils seraient en règle. If they put their names, they would be in accordance.
elles apposassent Si elles apposassent leur empreintes, ça serait joli. If they affixed their stamps, it would be pretty.

Other Conjugations for Apposer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb apposer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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