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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb congédier

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The English translation of the French verb congédier is “to dismiss,” “to lay off,” or “to fire.” It is pronounced “kohn-zhEH-dyay.”

The word congédier comes from the Latin word “congiarium,” which meant “a gift given to soldiers upon their dismissal from service.” In everyday French, congédier is most often used in formal or professional settings to refer to the act of firing or dismissing someone from their job or position.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, congédier is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Je craignais qu’il ne congédiât son assistant. (I was afraid he would fire his assistant.)
  2. Il était important qu’elle ne congédiât pas son équipe. (It was important that she did not lay off her team.)
  3. Je souhaitais que mon patron ne me congédiât pas. (I wished that my boss would not dismiss me.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je congédiasse Si je gagnais à la loterie, je congédiasse mon patron. If I won the lottery, I would dismiss my boss.
tu congédiasses Si tu n’étais pas gentil, tu congédiasses tes amis. If you weren’t nice, you would dismiss your friends.
il congédiât Si il avait deux emploi, il congédiât un d’eux. If he had two jobs, he would dismiss one of them.
elle congédiât Si elle avait un avocat, elle congédiât son ancien. If she had a lawyer, she would dismiss her old one.
on congédiât Si on respectait plus les travailleurs, on congédiât moins. If one respected the workers more, one would dismiss less.
nous congédiassions Si nous avions plus de temps, nous congédiassions notre aide ménagère. If we had more time, we would dismiss our housekeeper.
vous congédiassiez Si vous écoutiez attentivement, vous congédiassiez vos préjugés. If you listened carefully, you would dismiss your prejudices.
ils congédiassent S’ils étaient en faute, ils congédiassent leur employé. If they were at fault, they would dismiss their employee.
elles congédiassent Si elles n’étaient pas contentes, elles congédiassent leur patron. If they were not happy, they would dismiss their boss.

Other Conjugations for Congédier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb congédier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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