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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cligner

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The English translation of the French verb cligner is “to blink” or “to wink.” It is pronounced as “klee-nyay” in the infinitive form.

The word “cligner” is derived from the Latin word “clinare” meaning “to lean” or “incline.” It entered the French language in the 13th century.

In everyday French, the verb “cligner” is most commonly used in the Subjonctif Imparfait (imperfect subjunctive) tense. This tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples of “cligner” in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with English translations are:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu me clignes de l’œil. (I wished you would wink at me.)
  2. Nous avions peur qu’il clignât de l’œil à sa petite amie en secret. (We were afraid he would secretly wink at his girlfriend.)
  3. Elle aurait préféré que son frère ne clignât pas des yeux pendant les photos. (She would have preferred her brother not to blink during the photos.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je clignasse Je préférerais que je clignasse moins souvent. I would prefer if I blinked less often.
tu clignasses Si tu n’étais pas fatigué, tu clignasses moins. If you weren’t tired, you would blink less.
il clignât Il serait plus concentré s’il clignât moins souvent. He would be more focused if he blinked less often.
elle clignât Elle aimerait si elle clignât plus souvent. She would like it if she blinked more often.
on clignât Si on clignât moins, on pourrait voir mieux. If one blinked less, one could see better.
nous clignassions Si nous clignassions trop, nos yeux seraient fatigués. If we blinked too much, our eyes would be tired.
vous clignassiez Si vous clignassiez moins, vous verriez plus clair. If you blinked less, you would see more clearly.
ils clignassent S’ils clignassent plus souvent, ils auraient des yeux secs. If they blinked more often, they would have dry eyes.
elles clignassent Si elles clignassent ensemble, elles auraient l’air bizarre. If they blinked together, they would look strange.

Other Conjugations for Cligner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cligner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Cligner – 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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