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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb ciller

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The English translation of the French verb ciller is “to blink.” The infinitive form is pronounced “see-yay.”

Ciller comes from the Old French word “cillier,” which means “to wink” or “to droop.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three simple examples of ciller in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Je craignais qu’il ne cillât devant les examens. (I was afraid he would blink during the exams.)
  2. Il était incertain que le chat cillât lorsqu’il lui a donné un coup de pied. (He wasn’t sure if the cat would blink when he kicked it.)
  3. Nous espérions qu’elle ne cillât pas devant les critiques. (We hoped she wouldn’t blink in the face of criticism.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cillasse Je ne bougerais pas si je cillasse moins. I wouldn’t move if I blinked less.
tu cillasses Si tu ne cillasses pas, tu pourrais voir. If you didn’t blink, you could see.
il cillât Il serait plus sérieux s’il cillât moins. He would be more serious if he blinked less.
elle cillât Elle comprendrait mieux si elle cillât moins. She would understand better if she blinked less.
on cillât Si on cillât moins, on pourrait voir mieux. If one blinked less, one could see better.
nous cil

Other Conjugations for Ciller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ciller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Ciller – 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.

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