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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coloniser

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The English translation of the French verb coloniser is “to colonize.” The infinitive form is pronounced kɔ.lɔ.ni.ze.

Coloniser comes from the Latin word “colonus” meaning “settler” or “farmer.” In French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations, could be:

  1. Il était nécessaire que les colons colonisassent de nouveaux territoires pour étendre leur empire. (It was necessary for the colonists to colonize new territories to expand their empire.)

  2. J’aurais aimé que les explorateurs colonisassent ces terres avec respect et en prenant en compte les populations autochtones. (I would have liked for the explorers to have colonized these lands with respect and taking into account the indigenous populations.)

  3. Si les ressources naturelles n’étaient pas aussi riches, les Européens n’auraient peut-être pas colonisé l’Afrique aussi massivement. (If the natural resources were not as rich, Europeans may not have colonized Africa as heavily.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je colonisasse Si j’avais le pouvoir, je colonisasse le monde. If I had the power, I would colonize the world.
tu colonisasses Si tu étais plus courageux, tu colonisasses plus de territoires. If you were braver, you would colonize more territories.
il colonisât Il serait plus riche si il colonisât de nouveaux pays. He would be richer if he colonized new countries.
elle colonisât Elle serait plus influente si elle colonisât les îles. She would be more influential if she colonized islands.
on colonisât Si on colonisât Mars, on pourrait trouver de nouvelles ressources. If one colonized Mars, one could find new resources.
nous colonisassions Si nous colonisassions ensemble, nous pourrions réaliser nos rêves. If we colonized together, we could achieve our dreams.
vous colonisassiez Si vous colonisassiez ces terres, vous pourriez les rendre prospères. If you colonized these lands, you could make them prosperous.
ils colonisassent S’ils colonisassent plus de régions, ils auraient plus de pouvoir. If they colonized more regions, they would have more power.
elles colonisassent Si elles colonisassent cette partie du monde, elles pourraient y établir des colonies. If they colonized this part of the world, they could establish colonies there.

Other Conjugations for Coloniser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coloniser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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