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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arrêter

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The English translation of the French verb arrêter is “to stop” or “to arrest.” It is pronounced “ah-reh-teh.”

The word “arrêter” comes from the Latin word “arrestare,” meaning “to stop” or “to hinder.” It is most commonly used as a regular -er verb in everyday French, meaning its conjugation follows the same pattern as other -er verbs.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, arrêter is commonly used to express a hypothetical action or situation in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the conjunction “si” (if) to express a conditional statement.

Three examples of arrêter in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Si j’arrêtais de fumer, je serais en meilleure santé. (If I were to stop smoking, I would be healthier.)

  2. Il était important que nous n’arrêtions pas de chercher des solutions. (It was important that we didn’t stop looking for solutions.)

  3. Si tu arrêtais de te plaindre, tu pourrais trouver une solution. (If you were to stop complaining, you could find a solution.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je arrêtasse Si je gagnais à la loterie, j’arrêtasse de travailler. If I won the lottery, I would stop working.
tu arrêtasses Si tu te reposais plus, tu arrêtasses de te plaindre. If you rested more, you would stop complaining.
il arrêtât Il serait triste si il arrêtât de jouer au football. He would be sad if he stopped playing football.
elle arrêtât Elle serait fière si elle arrêtât de fumer. She would be proud if she stopped smoking.
on arrêtât Si on mangait moins, on arrêtât de prendre du poids. If one ate less, one would stop gaining weight.
nous arrêtassions Si nous arrêtassions de parler, nous entendrions mieux. If we stopped talking, we would hear better.
vous arrêtassiez Si vous arrêtassiez de regarder la télé, vous liriez plus. If you stopped watching TV, you would read more.
ils arrêtassent S’ils arrêtassent de se plaindre, ils seraient plus heureux. If they stopped complaining, they would be happier.
elles arrêtassent Si elles arrêtassent de se disputer, elles s’entendraient mieux. If they stopped arguing, they would get along better.

Other Conjugations for Arrêter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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