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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb comporter

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English Translation: to behave, to comport oneself (in a certain way)

Pronunciation: cawm-por-teh

Language Origin: The verb comporter comes from the Old French word comport, meaning “to carry,” which can be traced back to the Latin word comportare, meaning “to bring together.”

Usage in Subjonctif Imparfait: In everyday French, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Comporter is often used in this tense to describe someone’s behavior or actions in a specific situation.

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que tu te comportasses mieux en classe. (You needed to behave better in class.)
  2. Nous voulions qu’ils se comportent comme de vrais gentlemen. (We wanted them to behave like real gentlemen.)
  3. Elle souhaitait que je me comportasse de façon plus mature. (She wished that I behaved in a more mature manner.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je comportasse Si j’avais plus de temps, je comportasse différemment. If I had more time, I would behave differently.
tu comportasses Si tu comprenais mieux, tu comportasses mieux. If you understood better, you would behave better.
il comportât Il serait plus sociable, s’il se comportât mieux. He would be more sociable if he behaved better.
elle comportât Elle serait plus confiante si elle se comportât plus naturellement. She would be more confident if she behaved more naturally.
on comportât Si on se comportât plus maturement, on éviterait des problèmes. If one behaved more maturely, one would avoid problems.
nous comportassions Si nous nous comportassions mieux en public, nous aurions plus de succès. If we behaved better in public, we would have more success.
vous comportassiez Si vous compreniez mieux les autres, vous vous comportassiez mieux. If you understood others better, you would behave better.
ils comportassent S’ils se comportassent plus poliment, ils seraient plus appréciés. If they behaved more politely, they would be more appreciated.
elles comportassent Si elles se comportassent plus professionnellement, elles auraient plus de succès. If they behaved more professionally, they would have more success.

Other Conjugations for Comporter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb comporter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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