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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb confirmer

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The English translation of the French verb confirmer is “to confirm.” The infinitive form of confirmer is pronounced as “kohn-feer-may.”

Confirmer originates from the Latin word “confirmare,” which means “to strengthen, establish, or make firm.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical action or situation in the past.

Here are three simple examples of how confirmer is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Je doutais qu’il confirme sa présence à la réunion. (I doubted that he would confirm his presence at the meeting.)

  2. Il fallait que tu confirmes ta réservation avant midi. (You had to confirm your reservation before noon.)

  3. Elle souhaitait que nous confirmions notre accord avant de signer le contrat. (She wanted us to confirm our agreement before signing the contract.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je confirmasse Je ferais confiance à toi, si je confirmasse mes doutes. I would trust you, if I confirmed my doubts.
tu confirmasses Si tu me demandais, je confirmasses mon choix. If you asked me, I would confirm my choice.
il confirmât Il serait rassuré si il confirmât son inscription. He would be reassured if he confirmed his registration.
elle confirmât Elle serait soulagée si elle confirmât la date. She would be relieved if she confirmed the date.
on confirmât Si on confirmât le rendez-vous, on serait tranquilles. If one confirmed the appointment, one would be calm.
nous confirmassions Si nous confirmassions avant, on pourrait partir plus tôt. If we confirmed beforehand, we could leave earlier.
vous confirmassiez Si vous confirmassiez votre présence, on pourrait mieux planifier. If you confirmed your presence, we could plan better.
ils confirmassent S’ils confirmassent leur réservation, on pourrait être ensemble. If they confirmed their reservation, we could be together.
elles confirmassent Si elles confirmassent leur accord, on pourrait commencer. If they confirmed their agreement, we could start.

Other Conjugations for Confirmer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb confirmer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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