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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb ciseler

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of ciseler. 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 ciseler is “to carve” or “to chisel.” It is pronounced “see-zuh-leh.”

The origin of the word ciseler can be traced back to the Latin word “caesellare,” meaning “to cut” or “to carve.” In everyday French, ciseler is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu ciselasses ce morceau de bois. (I wished that you would carve this piece of wood.)
  2. Il fallait que nous ciselassions les détails pour que la sculpture soit parfaite. (We had to carve the details for the sculpture to be perfect.)
  3. Elle aurait aimé que je ciselasse ses initiales sur la boîte en bois. (She would have liked me to carve her initials on the wooden box.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je ciselasse J’aurais besoin que je ciselasse ces légumes. I would need to carve these vegetables.
tu ciselasses Si tu avais le temps, tu ciselasses mieux. If you had the time, you would carve better.
il ciselât Il serait fier si il ciselât la viande. He would be proud if he carved the meat.
elle ciselât Elle serait surprise si elle ciselât finement. She would be surprised if she carved elegantly.
on ciselât Si on ciselât plus souvent, on deviendrait plus habile. If one carved more often, one would become more skillful.
nous ciselassions Si nous ciselassions ensemble, nous irions plus vite. If we carved together, we would go faster.
vous ciselassiez Si vous ciselassiez avec précision, vous réussiriez. If you carved precisely, you would succeed.
ils ciselassent S’ils ciselassent avec soin, ils gagneraient plus. If they carved carefully, they would earn more.
elles ciselassent Si elles ciselassent ensemble, elles créeraient quelque chose de beau. If they carved together, they would create something beautiful.

Other Conjugations for Ciseler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ciseler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 ciseler Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts