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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb congratuler

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The English translation of the French verb congratuler is “to congratulate.” The infinitive form is pronounced “kon-gra-tyu-leh.”

The word “congratuler” comes from the Latin verb “congratulare,” meaning “to wish joy.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and has been used in its current form since the 18th century.

In everyday French, “congratuler” is most often used to express congratulations or praise towards someone for achieving something or for a good action. It is commonly used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three examples of how “congratuler” is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Si j’étais à ta place, je te congratulerais pour ton nouveau travail. (If I were in your place, I would congratulate you on your new job.)

  2. Nous aurions dû les congratuler pour leur victoire, mais nous étions trop déçus de notre défaite. (We should have congratulated them on their victory, but we were too disappointed about our defeat.)

  3. Il était important que nous les congratulassions pour leur bonne action. (It was important that we congratulate them for their good deed.)

In these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. The use of “congratuler” in this tense conveys a sense of politeness and formality in expressing congratulations.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je congratulasse Je serais content si je congratulasse mes amis. I would be happy if I congratulated my friends.
tu congratulasses Tu serais fier si tu congratulasses ton équipe. You would be proud if you congratulated your team.
il congratulât Il serait poli s’il congratulât son patron. He would be polite if he congratulated his boss.
elle congratulât Elle serait heureuse si elle congratulât sa soeur. She would be happy if she congratulated her sister.
on congratulât Si on congratulât plus souvent, on serait plus gentil. If one congratulated more often, one would be kinder.
nous congratulassions Si nous congratulassions nos collègues, on travaillerait mieux. If we congratulated our colleagues, we would work better.
vous congratulassiez Si vous congratulassiez vos enfants, ils seraient plus motivés. If you congratulated your children, they would be more motivated.
ils congratulassent S’ils congratulassent les gagnants, ça serait plus juste. If they congratulated the winners, it would be fairer.
elles congratulassent Si elles congratulassent leurs amis, elles seraient plus populaires. If they congratulated their friends, they would be more popular.

Other Conjugations for Congratuler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb congratuler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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