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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb briffer

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The English translation of the French verb briffer is “to brief” or “to give instructions.” It is pronounced as “bree-fay” in its infinitive form.

Briffer comes from the Old French word “bref,” meaning “brief” or “short.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in a formal or professional context, such as in meetings or in military or legal settings.

Three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je le briffasse avant la réunion. (I had to brief him before the meeting.)

  2. Le général ordonna que les soldats soient briffés sur la mission. (The general ordered for the soldiers to be briefed on the mission.)

  3. On m’avait briffé sur le protocole à suivre lors de la cérémonie. (I had been briefed on the protocol to follow during the ceremony.)

In these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a past action that is uncertain or hypothetical, such as the briefing that was necessary before the meeting, the general’s order for the soldiers to be briefed, and the fact that the speaker had been briefed on the protocol.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je briffasse Si j’avais plus de temps, je briffasse tous les détails. If I had more time, I would brief all the details.
tu briffasses Si tu te préparais mieux, tu briffasses mieux. If you prepared better, you would brief better.
il briffât Il serait plus efficace s’il briffât l’équipe avant la réunion. He would be more efficient if he briefed the team before the meeting.
elle briffât Elle serait prête si elle briffât plus souvent. She would be ready if she briefed more often.
on briffât Si on briffât le sujet en avance, on serait mieux préparé. If one briefed the subject in advance, one would be better prepared.
nous briffassions Si nous briffassions régulièrement, nous aurions moins de problèmes. If we briefed regularly, we would have fewer problems.
vous briffassiez Si vous briffassiez mieux, vous seriez plus confiants. If you briefed better, you would be more confident.
ils briffassent S’ils briffassent plus tôt, ils pourraient éviter les erreurs. If they briefed earlier, they could avoid mistakes.
elles briffassent Si elles briffassent ensemble, ça serait plus cohérent. If they briefed together, it would be more consistent.

Other Conjugations for Briffer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb briffer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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