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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb baptiser

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The English translation of the French verb baptiser is “to baptize”. It is pronounced as “bahp-tee-zay”.

The language origin of baptiser can be traced back to the Latin word “baptizare” which means “to dip or immerse”. In everyday French, baptiser is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense as a way to express a wish, desire, or doubt.

Examples:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu baptises ton enfant dans notre église. (I wished that you would baptize your child in our church.)

  2. Il était possible que le prêtre baptisât les nouveaux convertis ce dimanche. (It was possible that the priest would baptize the new converts this Sunday.)

  3. Nous doutions qu’elle baptisât son bébé selon la tradition familiale. (We doubted that she would baptize her baby according to the family tradition.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je baptisasse Je serais heureux si je baptisasse mon bébé. I would be happy if I baptized my baby.
tu baptisasses Si tu étais plus croyant, tu baptisasses tes enfants. If you were more religious, you would baptize your children.
il baptisât Il serait surpris si il baptisât son ami. He would be surprised if he baptized his friend.
elle baptisât Elle serait fière si elle baptisât elle-même. She would be proud if she baptized herself.
on baptisât Si on baptisât tous les bébés, on aurait des croyants. If one baptized all babies, there would be believers.
nous baptisassions Si nous baptisassions nos enfants, ils seraient protégés. If we baptized our children, they would be protected.
vous baptisassiez Si vous baptisassiez plus souvent, vous auriez plus de membres. If you baptized more often, you would have more members.
ils baptisassent S’ils baptisassent ensemble, ça serait une fête. If they baptized together, it would be a celebration.
elles baptisassent Si elles baptisassent en secret, personne ne le saurait. If they baptized in secret, no one would know.

Other Conjugations for Baptiser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb baptiser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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