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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb collecter

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The English translation of the French verb collecter is “to collect.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “co-lek-tey.”

The verb collecter comes from the Latin word “collectare,” which means to gather or assemble. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Nous aimerions que tu collectes des fonds pour notre association. (We would like you to collect funds for our association.)

  2. Il fallait que je collecte des données pour mon rapport. (I had to collect data for my report.)

  3. J’aurais souhaité que nous collections des jouets pour les enfants défavorisés. (I would have liked us to collect toys for underprivileged children.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je collectasse Si j’avais le temps, je collectasse tous les objets. If I had the time, I would collect all the objects.
tu collectasses Si tu avais le choix, tu collectasses plus d’informations. If you had the choice, you would collect more information.
il collectât Il serait content si il collectât tout l’argent. He would be happy if he collected all the money.
elle collectât Elle serait déçue si elle collectât toutes les données. She would be disappointed if she collected all the data.
on collectât Si on collectât tous les jours, on pourrait mieux analyser. If one collected every day, one could analyze better.
nous collectassions Si nous collectassions plus d’échantillons, nous aurions plus de données. If we collected more samples, we would have more data.
vous collectassiez Si vous collectassiez moins, vous auriez moins de problèmes. If you collected less, you would have less problems.
ils collectassent S’ils collectassent ensemble, ils seraient plus efficaces. If they collected together, they would be more efficient.
elles collectassent Si elles collectassent tout, elles seraient plus organisées. If they collected everything, they would be more organized.

Other Conjugations for Collecter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb collecter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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