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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb célébrer

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The English translation of the French verb célébrer is “to celebrate.” It is pronounced as “seh-leh-bray.”

The word célébrer comes from the Latin word “celebrare” which means “to honor, celebrate.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a mood used to express actions that are uncertain, hypothetical, or subjective in the past tense.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu célébras la nouvelle année avec nous. (I wished that you would celebrate the New Year with us.)
  2. Il fallait qu’elle célébrât son anniversaire en grand. (She had to celebrate her birthday in a big way.)
  3. Nous espérions que vous célébrassiez votre victoire avec joie. (We hoped that you celebrated your victory with joy.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je célébrasse Si j’étais avec toi, je célébrasse chaque jour. If I were with you, I would celebrate every day.
tu célébrasses Si tu étais plus organisé, tu célébrasses mieux. If you were more organized, you would celebrate better.
il célébrât Il serait heureux si il célébrât avec sa famille. He would be happy if he celebrated with his family.
elle célébrât Elle serait ravie si elle célébrât avec ses amis. She would be delighted if she celebrated with her friends.
on célébrât Si on célébrât ensemble, ça serait plus amusant. If one celebrated together, it would be more fun.
nous célébrassions Si nous célébrassions tous les anniversaires, on serait fatigués. If we celebrated all birthdays, we would be tired.
vous célébrassiez Si vous célébrassiez plus souvent, vous auriez plus de souvenirs. If you celebrated more often, you would have more memories.
ils célébrassent S’ils célébrassent ensemble, ça serait une belle fête. If they celebrated together, it would be a beautiful party.
elles célébrassent Si elles célébrassent en groupe, ça serait une super soirée. If they celebrated in a group, it would be a great evening.

Other Conjugations for Célébrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb célébrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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