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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb autotomiser

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The English translation of the French verb autotomiser is “to autotomize.” It is pronounced as “oh-toh-toh-mee-zay.”

The word autotomiser originates from the Greek prefix “auto,” meaning self, and the Latin word “tomus,” meaning to cut. It was first used in the late 19th century to describe the behavior of animals that have the ability to detach or shed a body part for defense or escape.

In everyday French, the verb autotomiser is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is commonly used in sentences where the subject wishes, doubts, or fears that something has occurred.

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

  1. Je craignais qu’il ne s’autotomisât la queue. (I was afraid that he would autotomize his tail.)

  2. Nous souhaitions qu’elle s’autotomisât les antennes pour se protéger. (We were hoping that she would autotomize her antennas to protect herself.)

  3. Il était possible que le lézard s’autotomisât la patte pour échapper au prédateur. (It was possible that the lizard would autotomize its leg to escape the predator.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je m’autotomisasse Si j’avais le pouvoir de m’autotomiser, je m’autotomisasse immédiatement. If I had the power to autotomize, I would do it immediately.
tu t’autotomisasses Si tu étais un lézard, tu t’autotomisasses pour te défendre. If you were a lizard, you would autotomize yourself to defend yourself.
il s’autotomisât Il serait intéressant de voir comment il s’autotomisât. It would be interesting to see how he would autotomize himself.
elle s’autotomisât Elle se demandait si elle s’autotomisât comme les lézards. She wondered if she would autotomize herself like lizards.
on s’autotomisât Si on s’autotomisât pour chaque petite blessure, on n’aurait plus de membres. If one autotomized for every little injury, one would have no limbs left.
nous nous autotomisassions Si nous étions des geckos, nous autotomisassions pour échapper aux prédateurs. If we were geckos, we would autotomize to escape predators.
vous vous autotomisassiez Si vous étiez attaqués, vous autotomisassiez pour vous sauver. If you were attacked, you would autotomize to save yourself.
ils s’autotomisassent S’ils pouvaient se régénérer, ils s’autotomisassent sans hésiter. If they could regenerate, they would autotomize without hesitation.
elles s’autotomisassent Si elles se défendaient en s’autotomisant, elles s’autotomisassent aussi souvent que possible. If they defended themselves by autotomizing, they would autotomize as often as possible.

Other Conjugations for Autotomiser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb autotomiser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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