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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb céder

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The English translation of the French verb céder is “to give in” or “to yield.” It is pronounced as “say-day” in the infinitive form.

The language origin of céder comes from the Latin word cedere, meaning “to yield” or “to go away.” In everyday French, céder is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that is typically preceded by a trigger verb or expression.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Je voulais qu’il cède à mes demandes. (I wanted him to give in to my requests.)
  2. Il fallait que nous cédions devant leur force. (We had to yield to their strength.)
  3. Elle souhaitait qu’ils cèdent à ses conditions. (She wished for them to give in to her conditions.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cédasse Si j’avais le choix, je cédasse mon tour. If I had the choice, I would give up my turn.
tu cédasses Si tu partais, tu cédasses ta place à quelqu’un d’autre. If you left, you would give your spot to someone else.
il cédât Il serait plus généreux s’il cédât son argent. He would be more generous if he gave away his money.
elle cédât Elle aurait plus de temps si elle cédât certaines tâches. She would have more time if she delegated some tasks.
on cédât Si on arrivait en retard, on cédât la priorité aux autres. If we arrived late, we would give priority to others.
nous cédassions Si nous cédassions un peu de nos bénéfices, nous pourrions aider les autres. If we gave some of our profits, we could help others.
vous cédassiez Si vous vous reposiez plus, vous cédassiez moins facilement sous la pression. If you rested more, you would give in less easily under pressure.
ils cédassent S’ils étaient plus courageux, ils ne cédassent pas devant l’adversité. If they were braver, they wouldn’t give in to adversity.
elles cédassent Si elles avaient plus de confiance en elles, elles cédassent moins aux critiques. If they had more confidence, they wouldn’t give in to criticism.

Other Conjugations for Céder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb céder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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