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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb comprimer

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The English translation of the French verb comprimer is “to compress” or “to squeeze.”

The infinitive form of comprimer is pronounced “kohm-pre-mee.”

Comprimer comes from the Latin word “comprimere,” which means “to press together.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense.

Here are three simple examples of how comprimer is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je comprimasse mes émotions. (I had to compress my emotions.)

  2. J’aurais aimé que tu comprimasses tes désirs pour le bien de la famille. (I wished that you had suppressed your desires for the sake of the family.)

  3. Nous aurions préféré que vous ne comprimassiez pas vos dépenses excessives. (We would have preferred that you didn’t restrain your excessive spending.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je comprimasse Je serais soulagé si je comprimasse le bouton. I would feel relieved if I could press the button.
tu comprimasses Si tu comprimasses plus fort, tu pourrais le casser. If you pressed harder, you could break it.
il comprimât Il n’aurait pas mal si il comprimât la blessure. He wouldn’t feel pain if he compressed the wound.
elle comprimât Elle se sentirait mieux si elle comprimât sa douleur. She would feel better if she compressed her pain.
on comprimât Si on comprimât moins, ça ferait moins mal. If one compressed less, it would hurt less.
nous comprimassions Si nous comprimassions ensemble, on réussirait. If we compressed together, we would succeed.
vous comprimassiez Si vous comprimassiez trop, ça pourrait être dangereux. If you compressed too much, it could be dangerous.
ils comprimassent S’ils comprimassent plus doucement, ça irait mieux. If they compressed more gently, it would be better.
elles comprimassent Si elles comprimassent assez longtemps, ça disparaîtrait. If they compressed long enough, it would disappear.

Other Conjugations for Comprimer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb comprimer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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