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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb conforter

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The English translation of the French verb conforter is “to strengthen” or “to comfort”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “kohN-for-tey”.

The language origin of conforter can be traced back to the Latin word “confortare”, which means “to strengthen” or “to give strength”. In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a subjunctive tense used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

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

  1. Il fallait que je le conforte dans sa décision. (I had to comfort/support him in his decision.)
  2. Elle n’était pas sûre de réussir, mais je la confortais en lui disant qu’elle avait le talent nécessaire. (She wasn’t sure she would succeed, but I was comforting her by telling her she had the necessary talent.)
  3. Si j’avais su, je l’aurais conforté dans son chagrin. (If I had known, I would have comforted him in his grief.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je confortasse Je serais plus confiant si je me confortasse. I would be more confident if I comforted myself.
tu confortasses Si tu dormais plus, tu confortasses mieux. If you slept more, you would comfort better.
il confortât Il serait plus calme si il se confortât. He would be calmer if he comforted himself.
elle confortât Elle serait moins stressée si elle se confortât. She would be less stressed if she comforted herself.
on confortât Si on se confortât plus souvent, on serait plus détendu. If one comforted oneself more often, one would be more relaxed.
nous confortassions Si nous nous confortassions régulièrement, nous serions plus forts. If we comforted ourselves regularly, we would be stronger.
vous confortassiez Si vous confortassiez vos amis, ils apprécieraient. If you comforted your friends, they would appreciate it.
ils confortassent S’ils se confortassent avant l’examen, ils seraient plus confiants. If they comforted themselves before the exam, they would be more confident.
elles confortassent Si elles se confortassent ensemble, elles se sentiraient mieux. If they comforted themselves together, they would feel better.

Other Conjugations for Conforter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb conforter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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