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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb assassiner

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of assassiner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb assassiner is “to assassinate.” It is pronounced as “ah-sah-see-nay” in its infinitive form.

The word assassiner comes from the Latin word “assassinare,” meaning “to assassinate or murder.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and has been used in various forms throughout history. It is most commonly used in everyday French to refer to the act of killing someone intentionally and unlawfully.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, assassiner is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Il fallait que je l’assassine. (I had to assassinate him/her.)

  2. Si j’étais un tueur, j’aurais pu l’assassiner. (If I were a killer, I could have assassinated him/her.)

  3. Je craignais qu’il ne l’assassinât. (I was afraid he would assassinate him/her.)

  4. I had to assassinate him/her.

  5. If I were a killer, I could have assassinated him/her.

  6. I was afraid he would assassinate him/her.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je assassinasse Si j’étais riche, je assassinasse mes ennemis. If I were rich, I would assassinate my enemies.
tu assassinasses Si tu étais courageux, tu assassinasses le tyran. If you were brave, you would assassinate the tyrant.
il assassinât Il serait heureux si il assassinât son rival. He would be happy if he assassinated his rival.
elle assassinât Elle serait fière si elle assassinât un tyran. She would be proud if she assassinated a tyrant.
on assassinât S’il assassinât le dictateur, le pays serait libre. If one assassinated the dictator, the country would be free.
nous assassinassions Si nous assassinassions le chef, la révolution réussirait. If we assassinated the leader, the revolution would succeed.
vous assassinassiez Si vous assassinassiez en silence, personne ne saurait. If you assassinated silently, no one would know.
ils assassinassent S’ils assassinassent en secret, ils éviteraient la prison. If they assassinated in secret, they would avoid prison.
elles assassinassent Si elles assassinassent l’oppresseur, elles seraient des héroïnes. If they assassinated the oppressor, they would be heroines.

Other Conjugations for Assassiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb assassiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the assassiner Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply