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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb confiner

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The English translation of the French verb confiner is “to confine” or “to restrict.” The infinitive form of confiner is pronounced as “kohn-fee-neh.”

The word confiner has its roots in the Latin word “confine,” meaning “to border” or “to limit.” In everyday French language, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three examples of confiner used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais peur qu’il ne se confine chez lui. (I was afraid that he would confine himself at home.)
  2. Elle craignait que la ville ne confine ses habitants à cause du virus. (She was afraid that the city would confine its inhabitants because of the virus.)
  3. Nous étions heureux qu’il ne nous ait pas confinés dans cette petite chambre. (We were happy that he did not confine us in this small room.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je confinasse Si je gagnais au loto, je confinasse dans une villa. If I won the lottery, I would isolate in a villa.
tu confinasses Si tu aimais les petits espaces, tu confinasses bien. If you liked small spaces, you would isolate well.
il confinât Si il avait peur de la foule, il confinât dans sa chambre. If he was afraid of crowds, he would isolate in his room.
elle confinât Si elle était malade, elle confinât à la maison. If she was sick, she would isolate at home.
on confinât Si on se sentait anxieux, on confinât seul. If one felt anxious, one would isolate alone.
nous confinassions Si nous étions en quarantaine, nous confinassions ensemble. If we were in quarantine, we would isolate together.
vous confinassiez Si vous aviez des symptômes, vous confinassiez immédiatement. If you had symptoms, you would isolate immediately.
ils confinassent Si ils risquaient d’être contaminés, ils confinassent avec précaution. If they were at risk of being contaminated, they would isolate with caution.
elles confinassent Si elles étaient en contact avec un cas positif, elles confinassent rapidement. If they were in contact with a positive case, they would isolate quickly.

Other Conjugations for Confiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb confiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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