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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb attabler

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The English translation of the French verb attabler is “to sit at the table.” It is pronounced ah-ta-blair.

Attabler comes from the French word “table,” meaning table. In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is used in situations where there is doubt, emotion, or subjectivity.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que nous nous attablions pour le dîner ensemble. (We had to sit at the table for dinner together.)
  2. Je préférais que vous vous attabliez à côté de moi. (I preferred that you sat at the table next to me.)
  3. Il était important que les enfants s’attablent avant de commencer à manger. (It was important that the children sat at the table before starting to eat.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je attablasse Si je pouvais, j’attablasse tout le monde. If I could, I would gather everyone around the table.
tu attablasses Si tu t’entendais avec lui, tu l’attablasses plus souvent. If you got along with him, you would invite him over more often.
il attablât Il serait content si il attablât avec ses amis. He would be happy if he ate with his friends.
elle attablât Elle serait surprise si elle attablât avec son patron. She would be surprised if she had dinner with her boss.
on attablât Si on attablât plus tôt, on pourrait aller au cinéma après. If one had dinner earlier, one could go to the movies after.
nous attablassions Si nous attablassions en famille, ce serait sympa. If we ate together as a family, it would be nice.
vous attablassiez Si vous attablassiez plus souvent, on aurait plus de temps libre. If you had dinner together more often, we would have more free time.
ils attablassent S’ils attablassent ensemble, ils se comprendraient mieux. If they had dinner together, they would understand each other better.
elles attablassent Si elles attablassent toutes les samedis, ça serait une tradition. If they had dinner together every Saturday, it would be a tradition.

Other Conjugations for Attabler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attabler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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