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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb assigner

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The English translation of the French verb assigner is “to assign”. The infinitive form is pronounced “ah-see-nyay”.

The language origin of assigner can be traced back to the Latin word “assignare”, which means “to allot” or “to assign”. It first appeared in French in the 12th century.

In everyday French, the verb assigner is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is commonly used in conjunction with the expression “si j’avais su” (if I had known) to express regret or remorse.

Here are three simple examples of assigner used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Si j’avais su, j’aurais assigné plus de temps pour ce projet. (If I had known, I would have assigned more time for this project.)

  2. Il fallait que tu assignasses un nouveau numéro de téléphone à ton fils. (You needed to assign a new phone number to your son.)

  3. Nous souhaitions que le professeur nous assignât des devoirs plus intéressants. (We wished the teacher would assign us more interesting homework.)

  4. If I had known, I would have assigned more time for this project.

  5. You needed to assign a new phone number to your son.

  6. We wished the teacher would assign us more interesting homework.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je assignasse Je serais content si je assignasse ces tâches. I would be happy if I assigned these tasks.
tu assignasses Si tu ne partages pas, tu assignasses les devoirs. If you don’t share, you would assign the tasks.
il assignât Il serait heureux s’il assignât les responsabilités. He would be happy if he assigned the responsibilities.
elle assignât Elle serait fière si elle assignât ces tâches. She would be proud if she assigned these tasks.
on assignât Si on assignât ces tâches à quelqu’un d’autre, on aurait plus de temps libre. If one assigned these tasks to someone else, one would have more free time.
nous assignassions Si nous assignassions équitablement, tout le monde serait content. If we assigned fairly, everyone would be happy.
vous assignassiez Si vous assignassiez les devoirs plus tôt, vous aurez plus de temps libre. If you assigned the tasks earlier, you would have more free time.
ils assignassent S’ils assignassent ces tâches à un autre département, ça serait plus organisé. If they assigned these tasks to another department, it would be more organized.
elles assignassent Si elles assignassent les responsabilités à quelqu’un d’autre, elles auraient moins de travail. If they assigned the responsibilities to someone else, they would have less work.

Other Conjugations for Assigner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb assigner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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