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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb codifier

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The English translation of the French verb codifier is “to codify.” The infinitive form, codifier, is pronounced as “koh-dee-fee-ay.”

Codifier comes from the Latin word “codex” meaning “book” or “code,” and the suffix “-fier” meaning “to make.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and has since been used to refer to the act of organizing or systematizing information into a code or set of rules.

In everyday French, codifier is 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 their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que j’essaie de codifier les règles du jeu. (It was necessary for me to try to codify the rules of the game.)
  2. Je souhaitais que tu codifies tes idées avant de les présenter au groupe. (I wished for you to codify your ideas before presenting them to the group.)
  3. Il était important que nous codifiions nos valeurs pour mieux les transmettre aux générations futures. (It was important for us to codify our values in order to pass them down to future generations.)

In each of these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a wish, necessity, or importance in the past. This tense is commonly used in French to talk about uncertain or hypothetical actions or situations, and codifier is often used in this context to refer to the act of organizing or systematizing information.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je codifiasse Je ne serais pas d’accord si je codifiasse tout. I would not agree if I codified everything.
tu codifiasses Tu serais plus efficace si tu codifiasses mieux. You would be more efficient if you codified better.
il codifiât Il serait plus ordonné si il codifiât ses dossiers. He would be more organized if he codified his files.
elle codifiât Elle serait plus précise si elle codifiât les détails. She would be more accurate if she codified the details.
on codifiât Si on codifiât chaque aspect, on éviterait des erreurs. If one codified each aspect, one would avoid mistakes.
nous codifiassions Si nous codifiassions ensemble, ça irait plus vite. If we codified together, it would go faster.
vous codifiassiez Si vous codifiassiez plus strictement, ça serait plus clair. If you codified more strictly, it would be clearer.
ils codifiassent S’ils codifiassent plus régulièrement, ils seraient plus organisés. If they codified more regularly, they would be more organized.
elles codifiassent Si elles codifiassent toutes les règles, elles éviteraient des confusions. If they codified all the rules, they would avoid confusion.

Other Conjugations for Codifier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb codifier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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