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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arriver

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The English translation of the French verb arriver is “to arrive” or “to happen.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “ah-ree-vay.”

The word “arriver” comes from the Latin word “arripere,” which means “to reach” or “to seize.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Example 1: J’espérais que tu arrivasses à temps. (I was hoping that you would arrive on time.)
Example 2: Il fallait que cela n’arrivât jamais. (It was necessary that it never happened.)
Example 3: Je craignais qu’elle n’arrivât pas à comprendre. (I was afraid that she wouldn’t manage to understand.)

English translations:
Example 1: I was hoping that you would arrive on time.
Example 2: It was necessary that it never happened.
Example 3: I was afraid that she wouldn’t manage to understand.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je arrivasse Si je partais plus tôt, j’arrivasse à l’heure. If I left earlier, I would arrive on time.
tu arrivasses Si tu te dépêchais, tu arrivasses avant moi. If you hurried, you would arrive before me.
il arrivât Si il prenait le train, il arrivât à temps. If he took the train, he would arrive on time.
elle arrivât Si elle choisissait le bon chemin, elle arrivât à destination. If she chose the right path, she would arrive at her destination.
on arrivât Si on suivait les instructions, on arrivât à bon port. If one followed the instructions, one would arrive safely.
nous arrivassions Si nous nous entraînions plus, nous arrivassions plus rapidement. If we trained more, we would arrive faster.
vous arrivassiez Si vous rouliez plus vite, vous arrivassiez plus tôt. If you drove faster, you would arrive earlier.
ils arrivassent Si ils s’organisaient mieux, ils arrivassent à temps. If they organized better, they would arrive on time.
elles arrivassent Si elles ne se perdaient pas, elles arrivassent ensemble. If they didn’t get lost, they would arrive together.

Other Conjugations for Arriver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arriver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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