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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chlorer

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The English translation of the French verb chlorer is “to chlorinate.” The infinitive form of chlorer is pronounced “kloh-reh.”

Chlorer comes from the Greek word “khlōros” meaning “greenish-yellow” and the suffix “-er” indicating the action of “making.” In everyday French, chlorer is most often used in a scientific or technical context to describe the process of adding chlorine to water or other substances to disinfect or purify them.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, chlorer is used to express a hypothetical action or a wish in the past. It is conjugated as follows:

Je chlorasse
Tu chlorasses
Il/Elle chlorât
Nous chlorassions
Vous chlorassiez
Ils/Elles chlorassent

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

  1. Il fallait que je chlorasse l’eau de la piscine avant de pouvoir me baigner. (I had to chlorinate the pool water before being able to swim.)
  2. Je souhaitais que tu chlorasses le réservoir pour éviter la prolifération de bactéries. (I wished that you would chlorinate the tank to prevent bacteria from multiplying.)
  3. Il était important que nous chlorassions les légumes pour les rendre propres à la consommation. (It was important for us to chlorinate the vegetables to make them safe for consumption.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je chlorasse Je préférerais que je chlorasse moins souvent. I would prefer if I chlorinated less often.
tu chlorasses Si tu suivais les consignes, tu chlorasses correctement. If you followed the instructions, you would chlorinate correctly.
il chlorât Il serait content si il chlorât correctement. He would be happy if he chlorinated properly.
elle chlorât Elle serait surprise si elle chlorât sans instructions. She would be surprised if she chlorinated without instructions.
on chlorât Si on chlorât plus souvent, ça serait plus propre. If one chlorinated more often, it would be cleaner.
nous chlorassions Si nous chlorassions tous les jours, nous aurions une piscine propre. If we chlorinated every day, we would have a clean pool.
vous chlorassiez Si vous chlorassiez la piscine, elle serait propre. If you chlorinated the pool, it would be clean.
ils chlorassent S’ils chlorassent les douches, elles seraient propres. If they chlorinated the showers, they would be clean.
elles chlorassent Si elles chlorassent les bassins, ça serait plus sûr. If they chlorinated the basins, it would be safer.

Other Conjugations for Chlorer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chlorer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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