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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb avancer

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The English translation of the French verb avancer is “to advance” or “to move forward”. It is pronounced “ah-vahn-seh” in the infinitive form.

Avancer comes from the Old French word “avancier”, which means “to move forward”. It is derived from the Latin word “abante”, meaning “in front, before”.

In everyday French, avancer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of avancer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Je voulais que tu avances avec moi. (I wanted you to move forward with me.)
  2. Il fallait qu’elle avance malgré ses peurs. (She had to advance despite her fears.)
  3. Nous préférions que vous avanciez lentement et avec prudence. (We preferred for you to move forward slowly and with caution.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je avançasse Si j’avais le temps, je avançasse plus vite. If I had the time, I would move faster.
tu avançasses Si tu avançasses moins, tu serais en retard. If you moved less, you would be late.
il avançât Il serait heureux si il avançât plus loin. He would be happy if he moved further.
elle avançât Elle serait contente si elle avançât plus fort. She would be happy if she moved harder.
on avançât Si on avançât plus vite, on arriverait plus tôt. If one moved faster, one would arrive earlier.
nous avancions Si nous avancions ensemble, nous serions plus forts. If we moved together, we would be stronger.
vous avanciez Si vous avanciez ensemble, vous seriez plus organisés. If you moved together, you would be more organized.
ils avançassent S’ils avançassent plus lentement, je serais plus patient. If they moved more slowly, I would be more patient.
elles avançassent Si elles avançassent plus fort, elles seraient plus fatiguées. If they moved harder, they would be more tired.

Other Conjugations for Avancer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb avancer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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