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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aurifier

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The English translation of the French verb aurifier is “to gild” or “to coat with gold.” It is pronounced as “aw-rih-fee-ay” in its infinitive form.

The word “aurifier” comes from the Latin word “aurum,” meaning “gold.” It is derived from the French noun “or” which means “gold,” and the suffix “-ifier” meaning “to make” or “to do.” In everyday French, aurifier is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense.

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

  1. Il fallait que je les aurifie avant de les vendre. (It was necessary for me to gild them before selling them.)
  2. J’aurais préféré que tu les aurifies toi-même. (I would have preferred that you gilded them yourself.)
  3. Il était nécessaire que nous aurifiions ces bijoux pour le mariage. (It was necessary for us to gild these jewels for the wedding.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurifiasse Si j’avais de l’or, je l’aurifiasse. If I had gold, I would purify it.
tu aurifiasses Si tu voulais, tu aurifiasses le métal. If you wanted, you would purify the metal.
il aurifiât Il serait heureux si il aurifiât son âme. He would be happy if he purified his soul.
elle aurifiât Elle serait fière si elle aurifiât sa conscience. She would be proud if she purified her conscience.
on aurifiât Si on aurifiât tout, on serait riche. If one purified everything, one would be rich.
nous aurifiassions Si nous aurifiassions tout, nous serions parfaits. If we purified everything, we would be perfect.
vous aurifiassiez Si vous aurifiassiez le monde, il serait meilleur. If you purified the world, it would be better.
ils aurifiassent S’ils avaient le pouvoir, ils l’aurifiassent. If they had the power, they would purify it.
elles aurifiassent Si elles avaient le courage, elles aurifiassent le mal. If they had the courage, they would purify the evil.

Other Conjugations for Aurifier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aurifier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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