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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb commencer

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The English translation of the French verb commencer is “to begin” or “to start.” It is pronounced as “koh-mahn-say.”

The origin of the word commencer can be traced back to the Latin word “cominitiare,” which means “to initiate” or “to begin.” In everyday French, commencer is a common and versatile verb that is used to describe the act of starting or initiating something.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, commencer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place in the past. It is usually used in conjunction with the conjunction “que.”

Three examples of commencer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je commençasse à travailler plus tôt. (I had to start working earlier.)

  2. Nous souhaitions que la réunion commençât à temps. (We wanted the meeting to start on time.)

  3. Il aurait mieux valu que tu commençasses par les tâches les plus importantes. (It would have been better if you had started with the most important tasks.)

English translations:

  1. I had to start working earlier.

  2. We wanted the meeting to start on time.

  3. It would have been better if you had started with the most important tasks.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je commençasse Si je travaillais moins, je commençasse à voyager plus. If I worked less, I would start traveling more.
tu commençasses Si tu venais plus tôt, tu commençasses à apprendre plus. If you came earlier, you would start learning more.
il commençât Si il me posait la question, il commençât à comprendre. If he asked me the question, he would start to understand.
elle commençât Si elle partait maintenant, elle commençât à s’inquiéter. If she left now, she would start to worry.
on commençât Si on mangeait plus sainement, on commençât à se sentir mieux. If one ate more healthily, one would start to feel better.
nous commencions Si nous travaillions ensemble, nous commencions à mieux comprendre. If we worked together, we would start to understand better.
vous commenciez Si vous arrêtiez de discuter, vous commenciez à écouter. If you stopped arguing, you would start to listen.
ils commencassent S’ils partaient demain, ils commencassent à se préparer. If they left tomorrow, they would start to get ready.
elles commencassent Si elles faisaient du sport, elles commencassent à être en forme. If they did sports, they would start to be in shape.

Other Conjugations for Commencer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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