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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arbitrer

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The English translation of the French verb arbitrer is “to arbitrate.” It is pronounced “ahr-bee-tray” in its infinitive form.

The word arbitrer comes from the Latin word “arbitrari” which means “to decide, judge, or witness.” It entered the French language in the 13th century, initially used in legal contexts to refer to someone who was appointed to settle a dispute.

In modern everyday French, the verb arbitrer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is typically used in conjunction with the conjunction “que.”

Example 1:

Il fallait que j’arbitrasse le conflit entre les deux parties.
(It was necessary for me to arbitrate the conflict between the two parties.)

Example 2:

Je préférais que tu arbitrasse la décision finale.
(I preferred that you arbitrated the final decision.)

Example 3:

Il était important que nous arbitrassions rapidement pour éviter toute escalade.
(It was important that we arbitrated quickly to avoid any escalation.)

In all three examples, the verb arbitrer is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or desired action in the past. The English translations also use the subjunctive mood to convey the same meaning.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je arbitrasse Si j’étais juge, je arbitrasse équitablement. If I were a judge, I would arbitrate fairly.
tu arbitrasse Si tu arbitrasse le match, tu serais impartial. If you arbitrated the game, you would be impartial.
il arbitrât Il serait satisfait si il arbitrât le conflit. He would be satisfied if he arbitrated the conflict.
elle arbitrât Elle serait surprise si elle arbitrât juste. She would be surprised if she arbitrated fairly.
on arbitrât Si on arbitrât le différend, on le résoudrait. If one arbitrated the dispute, one would resolve it.
nous arbitrassions Si nous arbitrassions les affaires, nous serions justes. If we arbitrated the affairs, we would be fair.
vous arbitrassiez Si vous arbitrassiez le conflit, vous pourriez trouver une solution. If you arbitrated the conflict, you could find a solution.
ils arbitrassent S’ils arbitrassent les différends, la paix règnerait. If they arbitrated disputes, peace would reign.
elles arbitrassent Si elles arbitrassent les discussions, elles seraient impartiales. If they arbitrated discussions, they would be impartial.

Other Conjugations for Arbitrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arbitrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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