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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb calligraphier

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The English translation of the French verb calligraphier is “to calligraph” or “to write in calligraphy.” In French, the infinitive form of calligraphier is pronounced “kah-lee-grah-fee-yay.”

The word calligraphier comes from the Greek words “kallos” meaning “beauty” and “graphein” meaning “to write.” It entered the French language in the 15th century and refers to the art of beautiful writing.

In everyday French, calligraphier is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Il fallait que j’apprenne à calligraphier avant de pouvoir écrire ce poème.
    Translation: I had to learn calligraphy before being able to write this poem.

  2. J’aurais aimé que tu calligraphias tes cartes de remerciement à la main.
    Translation: I would have liked for you to handwrite your thank-you cards.

  3. Si je savais calligraphier, je t’aurais écrit une belle lettre d’amour.
    Translation: If I knew how to calligraph, I would have written you a beautiful love letter.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je calligraphiasse Si j’étais plus patient, je calligraphiasse mieux. If I were more patient, I would write better.
tu calligraphiasses Si tu apprenais à calligraphier, tu calligraphiasses plus rapidement. If you learned calligraphy, you would write faster.
il calligraphiât Il serait impressionné si il calligraphiât comme ça. He would be impressed if he wrote like that.
elle calligraphiât Elle serait fière si elle calligraphiât aussi bien que toi. She would be proud if she wrote as well as you.
on calligraphiât Si on calligraphiât avec plus de précision, on pourrait lire plus facilement. If one wrote more precisely, one could read more easily.
nous calligraphiassions Si nous calligraphiassions tous les jours, nous deviendrions experts. If we wrote calligraphy every day, we would become experts.
vous calligraphiassiez Si vous m’aidiez, vous calligraphiassiez sans faute. If you helped me, you would write without mistakes.
ils calligraphiassent S’ils calligraphiassent ensemble, ça serait magnifique. If they wrote calligraphy together, it would be beautiful.
elles calligraphiassent Si elles calligraphiassent ensemble, ça serait agréable. If they wrote calligraphy together, it would be pleasant.

Other Conjugations for Calligraphier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calligraphier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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