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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clignoter

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The English translation of the French verb clignoter is “to blink” or “to flicker.” It is pronounced “klee-nyo-tey.”

Clignoter comes from the Latin word “clignare,” which means “to shut the eyes quickly.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Example 1: Il fallait que je clignote des yeux pour voir clairement. (I needed to blink my eyes to see clearly.)

Example 2: Elle voulait que les lumières de Noël clignotent toute la nuit. (She wanted the Christmas lights to blink all night.)

Example 3: Nous préférions que les étoiles clignotent dans le ciel étoilé. (We preferred the stars to blink in the starry sky.)

English translations:

Example 1: I had to blink my eyes to see clearly.
Example 2: She wanted the Christmas lights to flicker all night.
Example 3: We preferred the stars to twinkle in the starry sky.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je clignotasse Si je voyais une lumière qui clignotasse, je l’éteindrais. If I saw a flashing light, I would turn it off.
tu clignotasses Si tu n’avais pas peur, tu clignotasses plus vite. If you weren’t afraid, you would blink faster.
il clignotât Il était agacé qu’il clignotât sans arrêt. He was annoyed that it was blinking non-stop.
elle clignotât Elle ne serait pas surprise qu’elle clignotât encore. She wouldn’t be surprised if it was still blinking.
on clignotât Si on clignotât moins, ça pourrait économiser de l’énergie. If one blinked less, it could save energy.
nous clignotassions Si nous clignotassions en rythme, ça pourrait être amusant. If we blinked in rhythm, it could be fun.
vous clignotassiez Si vous clignotassiez en même temps, ça pourrait être dangereux. If you blinked at the same time, it could be dangerous.
ils clignotassent S’ils ne clignotassent pas, ils ne seraient pas visibles. If they didn’t blink, they wouldn’t be visible.
elles clignotassent Si elles clignotassent ensemble, ça pourrait être un signal. If they blinked together, it could be a signal.

Other Conjugations for Clignoter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clignoter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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