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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb conformer

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The English translation of the French verb conformer is “to conform.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “kohm-for-may.”

The word conformer comes from the Latin word “conformare,” which means “to shape” or “to mold.” In French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses uncertainty or subjectivity about a past action or situation.

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

  1. “Je souhaitais que tu te conformes aux règles de la société.” (I wished that you conformed to the rules of society.)

  2. “Il était important que nous nous conformions aux instructions données.” (It was important that we conformed to the given instructions.)

  3. “Il fallait que vous vous conformiez à la loi.” (You had to conform to the law.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je me conformasse Si j’étais toi, je me conformasse mieux aux règles. If I were you, I would conform better to the rules.
tu te conformasses Si tu voulais réussir, tu te conformasses davantage. If you wanted to succeed, you would conform more.
il se conformât Il serait plus respecté s’il se conformât aux traditions. He would be more respected if he conformed to traditions.
elle se conformât Elle serait plus heureuse si elle se conformât à ses valeurs. She would be happier if she conformed to her values.
on se conformât Si on se conformât aux normes, on serait mieux accepté. If one conformed to norms, one would be more accepted.
nous nous conformassions Si nous nous conformassions aux directives, nous réussirions. If we conformed to the guidelines, we would succeed.
vous vous conformassiez Si vous vous conformassiez plus tôt, vous auriez fini à temps. If you had conformed earlier, you would have finished on time.
ils se conformassent Si ils se conformassent à l’opinion commune, ils seraient plus populaires. If they conformed to popular opinion, they would be more popular.
elles se conformassent Si elles se conformassent à la mode, elles se sentiraient plus belles. If they conformed to fashion, they would feel more beautiful.

Other Conjugations for Conformer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb conformer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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