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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cisailler

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The English translation of the French verb cisailler is “to shear” or “to trim.” It is pronounced “see-zeye-yay.”

The word cisailler comes from the Old French word “cisel,” meaning “to cut or carve.” In modern French, it is most often used in the context of gardening or hairdressing, referring to the act of trimming or cutting plants or hair.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, cisailler is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Il fallait que je cisaillasse les haies avant l’arrivée des invités. – It was necessary that I shear the hedges before the guests arrived.

  2. Nous souhaitions que le coiffeur cisaillât nos cheveux de la même manière. – We wanted the hairdresser to trim our hair in the same way.

  3. Il était important que le jardinier cisaillât les arbustes avec précision. – It was important that the gardener trim the bushes with precision.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cisaillasse Si j’étais habile, je cisaillasse plus vite. If I were skilled, I would shear faster.
tu cisaillasses Si tu étais plus fort, tu cisaillasses mieux. If you were stronger, you would shear better.
il cisaillât Il serait satisfait si il cisaillât correctement. He would be satisfied if he sheared properly.
elle cisaillât Elle serait heureuse si elle cisaillât avec précision. She would be happy if she sheared accurately.
on cisaillât Si on cisaillât plus soigneusement, on aurait de meilleures récoltes. If one sheared more carefully, one would have better harvests.
nous cisaillassions Si nous cisaillassions ensemble, nous irions plus vite. If we sheared together, we would go faster.
vous cisaillassiez Si vous cisaillassiez plus longtemps, vous auriez moins de travail. If you sheared longer, you would have less work.
ils cisaillassent S’ils cisaillassent plus fréquemment, ils amélioreraient leur technique. If they sheared more often, they would improve their technique.
elles cisaillassent Si elles cisaillassent régulièrement, elles auraient moins de fatigue. If they sheared regularly, they would have less fatigue.

Other Conjugations for Cisailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cisailler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Cisailler – 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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