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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb carmer

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The English translation of the French verb carmer is “to charm” or “to enchant”. The infinitive form is pronounced “car-may”.

The word “carmer” comes from the Old French word “charmer” which means “to chant, to enchant”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or possible action in the past.

Example 1:
Je voulais que tu carmes les invités avec ta belle voix.
I wanted you to charm the guests with your beautiful voice.

Example 2:
Il fallait que nous te carmions pour que tu acceptes de venir avec nous.
We had to charm you so that you would agree to come with us.

Example 3:
Elles auraient aimé que le magicien les carme avec ses tours incroyables.
They would have liked the magician to charm them with his incredible tricks.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je carmasse J’aimerais que je carmasse plus souvent. I wish I would charm more often.
tu carmasses Si tu me regardais, tu carmasses mieux. If you looked at me, you would charm better.
il carmât Il serait mieux si il carmât moins. It would be better if he charmed less.
elle carmât Elle aurait envie si elle carmât bien. She would be tempted if she charmed well.
on carmât Si on carmât plus agréablement, on serait plus convaincant. If one charmed more pleasantly, one would be more convincing.
nous carmassions Si nous carmassions tout le temps, nous serions populaires. If we charmed all the time, we would be popular.
vous carmassiez Si vous carmassiez avec plus de passion, vous réussiriez. If you charmed with more passion, you would succeed.
ils carmassent S’ils carmassent avec plus de sincérité, ils auraient du succès. If they charmed with more sincerity, they would be successful.
elles carmassent Si elles carmassent mieux, elles attireraient plus de monde. If they charmed better, they would attract more people.

Other Conjugations for Carmer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb carmer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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