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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb ceinturer

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The English translation of the French verb ceinturer is “to belt” or “to encircle.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “sehn-tyuh-ray.”

The word ceinturer is derived from the French noun “ceinture,” which means “belt” or “waistband.” 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.

Here are three simple examples of ceinturer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je te ceinturasse avant que tu ne tombes. (I had to belt you before you fell.)

  2. Je souhaitais que tu te ceinturasses la taille avec un foulard. (I wished that you would belt your waist with a scarf.)

  3. Il était important que nous nous ceinturassions pour éviter tout risque de blessure. (It was important that we belted ourselves to avoid any risk of injury.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je ceinturasse Si je gagnais le titre, je ceinturasse le champion. If I won the title, I would belt the champion.
tu ceinturasses Si tu étais plus fort, tu ceinturasses plus de charges. If you were stronger, you would belt more weights.
il ceinturât Je serais fier si il ceinturât la ceinture noire. I would be proud if he belted the black belt.
elle ceinturât Elle serait surprise si elle ceinturât le sac de boxe. She would be surprised if she belted the boxing bag.
on ceinturât Si on ceinturât le pantalon plus serré, on aurait l’air plus mince. If one belted the pants tighter, one would look slimmer.
nous ceinturassions Si nous ceinturassions le costume, nous aurions l’air plus élégants. If we belted the suit, we would look more elegant.
vous ceinturassiez Si vous ceinturassiez la veste, vous auriez l’air plus sophistiqués. If you belted the jacket, you would look more sophisticated.
ils ceinturassent S’ils ceinturassent plus fort, ils gagneraient plus de combats. If they belted harder, they would win more fights.
elles ceinturassent Si elles ceinturassent à la taille, elles seraient plus confortables. If they belted at the waist, they would be more comfortable.

Other Conjugations for Ceinturer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ceinturer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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