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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb conditionner

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The English translation of the French verb conditionner is “to condition.” It is pronounced as “kohn-dee-see-oh-nay” in the infinitive form.

Conditionner comes from the French word “condition,” which comes from the Latin word “conditio” meaning “agreement” or “arrangement.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’aimerais que tu conditionnes ta réponse avant de prendre une décision. (I would like you to condition your answer before making a decision.)

  2. Il fallait que nous conditionnions nos comportements en présence de nos grands-parents. (We had to condition our behavior in the presence of our grandparents.)

  3. Elle aurait préféré que je conditionne mes réactions avant de lui parler. (She would have preferred me to condition my reactions before talking to her.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je conditionnasse Si j’avais du temps, je conditionnasse les produits. If I had time, I would condition the products.
tu conditionnasses Si tu étais plus diligent, tu conditionnasses plus vite. If you were more diligent, you would condition faster.
il conditionnât Il serait content si il conditionnât mieux. He would be happy if he conditioned better.
elle conditionnât Elle serait surprise si elle conditionnât parfaitement. She would be surprised if she conditioned perfectly.
on conditionnât Si on conditionnât avec soin, on aurait de bons résultats. If one conditioned carefully, one would have good results.
nous conditionnassions Si nous conditionnassions ensemble, ça irait plus vite. If we conditioned together, it would go faster.
vous conditionnassiez Si vous conditionnassiez en grand quantité, vous économiseriez. If you conditioned in large quantities, you would save.
ils conditionnassent S’ils conditionnassent toutes les bouteilles, ça serait long. If they conditioned all the bottles, it would take a long time.
elles conditionnassent Si elles conditionnassent plus lentement, je comprendrais mieux. If they conditioned more slowly, I would understand better.

Other Conjugations for Conditionner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb conditionner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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