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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chiffrer

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The English translation of the French verb chiffrer is “to encrypt” or “to cipher.” It is pronounced “shee-freh.”

Chiffrer comes from the Old French word “chifre,” meaning “cipher.” It is also related to the Latin word “cifra,” meaning “zero” or “number.” In modern French, chiffrer is most commonly used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a literary tense used to express hypothetical or unreal situations in the past.

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

  1. Il fallait que je chiffrasse le message avant de l’envoyer. (I had to encrypt the message before sending it.)
  2. Si nous avions su, nous aurions chiffré nos communications. (If we had known, we would have encrypted our communications.)
  3. Il aurait fallu que vous chiffrassiez vos données pour les protéger. (You should have encrypted your data to protect it.)

English translations:

  1. I had to encrypt the message before sending it.
  2. If we had known, we would have encrypted our communications.
  3. You should have encrypted your data to protect it.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je chiffrasse Si j’étais un expert, je chiffrasse les données. If I were an expert, I would encrypt the data.
tu chiffrasses Si tu avais le code, tu chiffrasses facilement. If you had the code, you would encrypt easily.
il chiffrât Il serait satisfait si il chiffrât les messages. He would be satisfied if he encrypted the messages.
elle chiffrât Elle serait prudente si elle chiffrât les documents. She would be cautious if she encrypted the documents.
on chiffrât Si on chiffrât les fichiers, on serait en sécurité. If one encrypted the files, one would be safe.
nous chiffrassions Si nous chiffrassions toutes les données, nous serions protégées. If we encrypted all the data, we would be protected.
vous chiffrassiez Si vous chiffrassiez les informations, vous seriez plus confidentiels. If you encrypted the information, you would be more confidential.
ils chiffrassent S’ils chiffrassent leurs communications, il y aurait moins de risques. If they encrypted their communications, there would be less risk.
elles chiffrassent Si elles se chiffrassent les messages, elles se protégeraient. If they encrypted their messages, they would protect themselves.

Other Conjugations for Chiffrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chiffrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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