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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aviver

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The English translation of the French verb aviver is “to revive” or “to brighten up.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ah-vee-vay.”

Aviver comes from the Old French word “viver,” meaning “to live,” and the prefix “a-” which indicates a repetition or intensification of the action. It is a transitive verb, meaning it requires an object in order to make sense.

In everyday French, aviver is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often translated into English as “would + verb” or “if + verb.”

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

  1. Si j’avivais mes plantes, elles ne seraient pas mortes.
    (If I had revived my plants, they wouldn’t have died.)

  2. Il fallait que tu avives le feu pour qu’on puisse faire griller les marshmallows.
    (You needed to revive the fire so we could roast marshmallows.)

  3. Nous espérions que le soleil avivât nos esprits pendant les vacances.
    (We hoped that the sun would revive our spirits during the vacation.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je avivasse Si j’étais plus fort, je avivasse la flamme. If I were stronger, I would revive the flame.
tu avivasses Si tu avivasses ton esprit, tu réussirais. If you revived your spirit, you would succeed.
il avivât Il serait heureux si il avivât la discussion. He would be happy if he revived the discussion.
elle avivât Elle serait ravie si elle avivât la créativité. She would be delighted if she revived her creativity.
on avivât Si on avivât la mémoire, on se rappellerait mieux. If one revived their memory, one would remember better.
nous avivassions Si nous avivassions nos passions, nous serions plus heureux. If we revived our passions, we would be happier.
vous avivassiez Si vous avivassiez la discussion, vous trouveriez une solution. If you revived the discussion, you would find a solution.
ils avivassent S’ils avivassent le feu, il ferait plus chaud. If they revived the fire, it would be warmer.
elles avivassent Si elles avivassent leur esprit, elles seraient plus alertes. If they revived their minds, they would be more alert.

Other Conjugations for Aviver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aviver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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