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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb censurer

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The English translation of the French verb censurer is “to censor” or “to criticize.” It is pronounced as “sahn-suh-ray.”

The word censurer is derived from the Latin word “censura” which means “judgment” or “criticism.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and has been used in its current form since the 16th century.

In everyday French, censurer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is most commonly used in formal or written language.

Here are three simple examples of censurer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je censurasse son comportement irrespectueux.
    (He needed to be censured for his disrespectful behavior.)

  2. Je craignais qu’ils ne censurassent mon livre pour son contenu controversé.
    (I was afraid that they would censor my book for its controversial content.)

  3. Il était important que nous censurassions nos paroles en présence des enfants.
    (It was important that we censored our words in front of the children.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je censurasse Si je censurasse tout, ça serait ennuyeux. If I censored everything, it would be boring.
tu censurasses Si tu censurasses moins, tu comprendrais mieux. If you censored less, you would understand better.
il censurât Il empêcherait de censurer s’il censurât plus souvent. He would prevent censorship if he censored more often.
elle censurât Elle ne serait pas contente si elle censurât tout. She wouldn’t be happy if she censored everything.
on censurât Il serait difficile de s’exprimer si on censurât tout. It would be difficult to express oneself if everything were censored.
nous censurassions Si nous censurassions nos pensées, on n’apprendrait rien. If we censored our thoughts, we wouldn’t learn anything.
vous censurassiez Si vous censurassiez plus souvent, vous seriez plus tolérants. If you censored more often, you would be more tolerant.
ils censurassent S’ils censurassent moins, on pourrait avoir des débats ouverts. If they censored less, we could have open debates.
elles censurassent Si elles censurassent leurs opinions, ça nuirait à la démocratie. If they censored their opinions, it would harm democracy.

Other Conjugations for Censurer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb censurer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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