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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb confesser

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of confesser. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb confesser is “to confess.” It is pronounced as “kon-fes-ey.”

The verb confesser comes from the Latin word “confiteri” meaning “to acknowledge or admit.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Some examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu confesses tes fautes. (I wished for you to confess your faults.)
  2. Ils doutaient qu’elle confesse la vérité. (They doubted that she would confess the truth.)
  3. Nous aurions aimé que vous confessiez vos sentiments plus tôt. (We would have liked for you to confess your feelings earlier.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je confessasse Si j’étais coupable, je confessasse mes péchés. If I were guilty, I would confess my sins.
tu confessasses Si tu avais honte, tu confessasses la vérité. If you were ashamed, you would confess the truth.
il confessât Il serait libéré s’il confessât tout. He would be freed if he confessed everything.
elle confessât Elle serait pardonnée si elle confessât ses actes. She would be forgiven if she confessed her actions.
on confessât Si on se confessât plus souvent, on se sentirait mieux. If one confessed more often, one would feel better.
nous confessassions Si nous confessassions nos erreurs, nous serions plus honnêtes. If we confessed our mistakes, we would be more honest.
vous confessassiez Si vous confessassiez vos sentiments, vous seriez plus compréhensifs. If you confessed your feelings, you would be more understanding.
ils confessassent S’ils confessassent leurs secrets, ils se libéreraient d’un poids. If they confessed their secrets, they would free themselves from a burden.
elles confessassent Si elles confessassent ensemble, cela serait plus facile. If they confessed together, it would be easier.

Other Conjugations for Confesser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb confesser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the confesser Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts