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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb autodéterminer

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The English translation of the French verb autodéterminer is “to self-determine” or “to decide for oneself.” The infinitive form, autodéterminer, is pronounced “oh-toh-day-tair-mee-nay.”

The word autodéterminer is derived from the Latin prefix “auto-” meaning “self” and the French verb “déterminer” meaning “to determine.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is commonly used with the conjunction “si” (if).

Examples in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Si elle s’autodéterminait plus tôt, elle n’aurait pas eu tous ces regrets. (If she had self-determined earlier, she wouldn’t have had all these regrets.)
  2. J’aurais aimé qu’il s’autodétermine avant de prendre cette décision. (I wish he had self-determined before making this decision.)
  3. Si nous nous autodéterminions davantage, nous pourrions changer le monde. (If we self-determined more, we could change the world.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je m’autodétermine Je suis heureux que je m’autodétermine. I am happy that I am self-determined.
tu t’autodétermines Si tu travaillais plus, tu t’autodéterminesais mieux. If you worked more, you would be more self-determined.
il s’autodétermine Il serait impressionné si il s’autodétermineait plus. He would be impressed if he was more self-determined.
elle s’autodétermine Elle serait fière si elle s’autodétermineait bien. She would be proud if she was self-determined.
on s’autodétermine Si on s’autodétermineait plus tôt, on pourrait réussir. If one was self-determined earlier, one could succeed.
nous nous autodéterminions Si nous nous autodéterminions tous les jours, nous progresserions. If we were self-determined every day, we would make progress.
vous vous autodéterminiez Si vous vous autodéterminiez plus tôt, vous auriez plus de succès. If you were self-determined earlier, you would have more success.
ils s’autodéterminent S’ils s’autodéterminaient plus, ils se sentiraient mieux. If they were more self-determined, they would feel better.
elles s’autodéterminent Si elles s’autodéterminaient ensemble, ça serait positif. If they were self-determined together, it would be positive.

Other Conjugations for Autodéterminer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb autodéterminer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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