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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb ardoiser

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The English translation of the French verb ardoiser is “to slate” or “to tile”. It is pronounced “ahr-dwah-zay” in the infinitive form.

Ardoiser comes from the French word “ardoise” meaning “slate”, which ultimately derives from the Latin “ardere” meaning “to burn”. In everyday French, it is most often used as a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object, and is conjugated in the subjonctif imparfait tense.

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

  1. Il fallait que je l’ardoisasse avant la pluie. (It was necessary for me to slate it before the rain.)
  2. Je préférais que tu ardoisasses le toit toi-même. (I preferred that you slate the roof yourself.)
  3. Il était important que nous l’ardoisassions avant l’hiver. (It was important for us to slate it before winter.)

In each of these examples, the verb ardoiser expresses the idea of covering or protecting a surface with slate or tiles. This tense, subjonctif imparfait, is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. In this case, it conveys the idea that the action of slating or tiling was necessary or preferred at a particular time in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je ardoisasse Si je n’étais pas fatigué, je ardoisasse toute la journée. If I were not tired, I would slate all day.
tu ardoisasses Si tu avais moins de travail, tu ardoisasses plus vite. If you had less work, you would slate faster.
il ardoisât Il aurait été content si il ardoisât la maison. He would have been happy if he had slated the house.
elle ardoisât Elle serait inquiète si elle ardoisât toute seule. She would be worried if she slated alone.
on ardoisât Si on ardoisât plus tôt, on serait prêt pour la pluie. If one slated earlier, one would be ready for the rain.
nous ardoisassions Si nous ardoisassions ensemble, ça serait plus facile. If we slated together, it would be easier.
vous ardoisassiez Si vous ardoisassiez moins cher, je commanderais plus. If you slated cheaper, I would order more.
ils ardoisassent S’ils ardoisassent plus souvent, on n’aurait pas de problèmes. If they slated more often, we would not have any problems.
elles ardoisassent Si elles ardoisassent en silence, on pourrait se concentrer. If they slated silently, we could concentrate.

Other Conjugations for Ardoiser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ardoiser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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