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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb brillanter

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The English translation of the French verb “brillanter” is “to shine” or “to sparkle.” The infinitive form, “brillanter,” is pronounced “bree-LAHN-tay.”

The word “brillanter” comes from the French adjective “brillant,” meaning “shining” or “sparkling.” It originated from the Latin word “brillare,” meaning “to sparkle” or “to shine.” In everyday French, “brillanter” is most often used in its Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express an uncertain or hypothetical action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of “brillanter” in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je brillasse lors de ce concert. (It was necessary for me to shine during this concert.)
  2. Je souhaitais que tu brillasses autant que moi. (I wished that you shone as much as me.)
  3. Il aurait été parfait que nous brillassions ensemble. (It would have been perfect for us to shine together.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je brillantasse Si j’avais étudié plus, je brillantasse en maths. If I had studied more, I would shine in math.
tu brillantasses Si tu faisais plus d’exercices, tu brillantasses en gymnastique. If you did more exercises, you would shine in gymnastics.
il brillantât Il serait content si il brillantât en classe. He would be happy if he shone in class.
elle brillantât Elle serait surprise si elle brillantât en art. She would be surprised if she shone in art.
on brillantât Si on parlait moins fort, on brillantât mieux. If one spoke less loudly, one would shine better.
nous brillantassions Si nous étudiions ensemble, nous brillantassions en groupe. If we studied together, we would shine as a group.
vous brillantassiez Si vous étiez plus confiants, vous brillantassiez dans vos interviews. If you were more confident, you would shine in your interviews.
ils brillantassent S’ils travaillaient plus dur, ils brillantassent dans leur carrière. If they worked harder, they would shine in their career.
elles brillantassent Si elles participaient plus, elles brillantassent au jeu. If they participated more, they would shine in the game.

Other Conjugations for Brillanter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brillanter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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