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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cibler

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The English translation of the French verb cibler is “to target” or “to aim at.” It is pronounced “see-blair” in the infinitive form.

The word cibler comes from the Old French word “sibler,” which meant “to sift” or “to sieve.” Over time, it evolved to take on the meaning of “to aim at” or “to target.”

In everyday French, cibler is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a wish, desire, or possibility in the past. It is often used in hypothetical or uncertain situations.

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

  1. Je souhaitais que tu cibles mieux ta stratégie. (I wished that you would target your strategy better.)
  2. Il fallait que nous ciblions un nouveau marché. (We had to target a new market.)
  3. J’aurais aimé que vous cibliez un public plus large. (I would have liked for you to target a broader audience.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je ciblasses Si j’avais plus de temps, je ciblasses mieux. If I had more time, I would target better.
tu ciblasses Si tu te concentres, tu ciblasses plus précisément. If you focus, you target more accurately.
il ciblât Il serait content si il ciblât le bon public. He would be happy if he targeted the right audience.
elle ciblât Elle choisirait un produit si elle ciblât les bons critères. She would choose a product if she targeted the right criteria.
on ciblât Si on ciblât plus largement, on atteindrait plus de gens. If one targeted more broadly, one would reach more people.
nous ciblassions Si nous ciblassions mieux, nous aurions plus de succès. If we targeted better, we would have more success.
vous ciblassiez Si vous ciblassiez plus efficacement, vous gagneriez plus d’argent. If you targeted more effectively, you would earn more money.
ils ciblassent S’ils ciblassent plus attentivement, ils auraient moins de pertes. If they targeted more carefully, they would have fewer losses.
elles ciblassent Si elles ciblassent les bonnes personnes, elles auraient plus de clients. If they targeted the right people, they would have more customers.

Other Conjugations for Cibler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cibler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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