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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb articuler

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The English translation of the French verb articuler is “to articulate” or “to articulate oneself.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ahr-tee-kyuh-lay.”

Articuler comes from the Latin word “articulus,” meaning “joint” or “division.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and has evolved to have a variety of meanings, including “to express,” “to enunciate,” and “to connect.”

In everyday French, articuler is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Je souhaitais qu’elle articulât mieux ses idées. (I wished that she would articulate her ideas better.)

  2. Il fallait que nous articulassions nos positions pour trouver un accord. (We needed to articulate our positions to reach an agreement.)

  3. J’aurais aimé que tu articulasses tes arguments avec plus de clarté. (I would have liked you to articulate your arguments more clearly.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je articulasse Je serais plus clair si j’articulasse mieux. I would be clearer if I articulated better.
tu articulasses Si tu articulasses plus, tu comprendrais mieux. If you articulated more, you would understand better.
il articulât Il serait plus compréhensible s’il articulât mieux. It would be more understandable if he articulated better.
elle articulât Elle ferait moins de fautes si elle articulât mieux. She would make fewer mistakes if she articulated better.
on articulât Si on articulât moins, on comprendrait mieux. If one articulated less, one would understand better.
nous articulassions Si nous articulassions plus lentement, nous serions plus précis. If we articulated more slowly, we would be more precise.
vous articulassiez Si vous articulassiez plus clairement, vous seriez plus convaincants. If you articulated more clearly, you would be more convincing.
ils articulassent S’ils articulassent mieux, ils seraient plus compréhensibles. If they articulated better, they would be more understandable.
elles articulassent Si elles articulassent ensemble, elles seraient mieux coordonnées. If they articulated together, they would be better coordinated.

Other Conjugations for Articuler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb articuler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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