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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clamer

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The English translation of the French verb clamer is “to shout” or “to cry out”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “kla-may”.

The word “clamer” comes from the Latin word “clamare”, meaning “to cry out”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples of clamer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Je craignais qu’il ne clame son innocence devant le juge. (I was afraid that he would cry out his innocence before the judge.)

  2. Il fallait que nous clamions plus fort pour être entendus. (We had to shout louder to be heard.)

  3. Ils auraient aimé que les manifestants ne clament pas des slogans violents. (They would have liked the protesters not to shout violent slogans.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je clamasse Je me fâcherais si je clamasse. I would get angry if I shouted.
tu clamasses Si tu te concentrasses plus, tu clamasses moins. If you concentrated more, you would shout less.
il clamât Il serait triste si il clamât ses émotions. He would be sad if he expressed his emotions.
elle clamât Elle serait surprise si elle clamât son innocence. She would be surprised if she proclaimed her innocence.
on clamât Si on clamât plus souvent, on serait entendu. If one shouted more often, one would be heard.
nous clamassions Si nous clamassions ensemble, on nous entendrait. If we shouted together, we would be heard.
vous clamassiez Si vous clamassiez moins fort, vous seriez plus discrets. If you shouted less loudly, you would be more discreet.
ils clamassent S’ils clamassent trop, ils risquent de se blesser. If they shout too much, they risk hurting themselves.
elles clamassent Si elles clamassent plus souvent, elles se fatigueraient. If they shouted more often, they would get tired.

Other Conjugations for Clamer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clamer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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