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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb atteler

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The English translation of the French verb atteler is “to harness” or “to yoke.” It is pronounced ah-tuh-lay.

Atteler comes from the Latin word “aptus,” meaning “to fit” or “to adjust.” The past participle of atteler, “attelé,” is often used as an adjective to describe a horse or other animal that is harnessed or yoked.

In everyday French, atteler is most commonly used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the conditional tense to form a conditional sentence.

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

  1. Il fallait que tu t’attelasses plus tôt. (You needed to harness yourself earlier.)
  2. Elle aurait aimé que les chevaux s’attelassent plus facilement. (She would have liked the horses to harness more easily.)
  3. Nous aurions pu atteler le cheval si nous avions eu les bonnes sangles. (We could have harnessed the horse if we had the right straps.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je attachasse Si j’avais un cheval, j’attachasse ma charrette. If I had a horse, I would hitch my cart.
tu attachasses Si tu avais un cheval, tu attachasses ta charrette. If you had a horse, you would hitch your cart.
il attachât Si il avait un cheval, il attachât sa charrette. If he had a horse, he would hitch his cart.
elle attachât Si elle avait un cheval, elle attachât sa charrette. If she had a horse, she would hitch her cart.
on attachât Si on avait un cheval, on attachât sa charrette. If one had a horse, one would hitch their cart.
nous attachassions Si nous avions un cheval, nous attachassions nos charrettes. If we had a horse, we would hitch our carts.
vous attachassiez Si vous aviez un cheval, vous attachassiez vos charrettes. If you had a horse, you would hitch your carts.
ils attachassent Si ils avaient un cheval, ils attachassent leurs charrettes. If they had a horse, they would hitch their carts.
elles attachassent Si elles avaient un cheval, elles attachassent leurs charrettes. If they had a horse, they would hitch their carts.

Other Conjugations for Atteler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb atteler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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