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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chirographier

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of chirographier. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb chirographier is “to write by hand” or “to handwrite.” It is pronounced “shee-roh-gra-fee-ay.”

The word chirographier comes from the Greek words “cheir” meaning “hand” and “grapho” meaning “to write.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a doubtful or hypothetical action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of how chirographier is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Je voulais que tu chirographies une lettre pour moi. (I wanted you to handwrite a letter for me.)
  2. Il fallait que nous chirographiions nos devoirs avant de partir en vacances. (We had to handwrite our homework before going on vacation.)
  3. Elle souhaitait que vous chirographiiez une carte d’anniversaire pour votre grand-mère. (She wished for you to handwrite a birthday card for your grandmother.)

In each of these examples, the subjunctive form of chirographier is used to express a hypothetical or desired action in the past. The English translations also use the subjunctive form to convey the same meaning.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je chirographiasse Si j’étais riche, je chirographiasse plus souvent. If I were rich, I would write more often.
tu chirographiasses Si tu étudies plus, tu chirographiasses mieux. If you studied more, you would write better.
il chirographiât Il serait content si il chirographiât plus clairement. He would be happy if he wrote more clearly.
elle chirographiât Elle serait surprise si elle chirographiât mieux. She would be surprised if she wrote better.
on chirographiât Si on chirographiât plus lentement, on comprendrait mieux. If one wrote more slowly, one would understand better.
nous chirographiassions Si nous chirographiassions ensemble, nous ferions moins d’erreurs. If we wrote together, we would make fewer mistakes.
vous chirographiassiez Si vous chirographiassiez plus, vous auriez une meilleure écriture. If you wrote more, you would have better handwriting.
ils chirographiassent S’ils chirographiassent plus soigneusement, leurs écritures seraient plus belles. If they wrote more carefully, their handwriting would be more beautiful.
elles chirographiassent Si elles chirographiassent plus, leur correspondance serait plus lisible. If they wrote more, their correspondence would be more legible.

Other Conjugations for Chirographier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chirographier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the chirographier Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts