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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb conjuguer

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The English translation of the French verb conjuguer is “to conjugate.” It is pronounced as “kon-zhoo-gay.”

Conjuguer comes from the Old French word “conjoindre,” meaning “to join together.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place in the past.

Three simple examples of using conjuguer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Je voulais que tu conjugues ce verbe correctement. (I wanted you to conjugate this verb correctly.)
  2. Il fallait que nous conjugussions tous les verbes en français. (We had to conjugate all the verbs in French.)
  3. Elle souhaitait que vous conjugussiez les verbes irreguliers sans fautes. (She wished for you to conjugate irregular verbs without mistakes.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je conjugasse Si je savais bien conjuguer, je conjugasse sans fautes. If I knew how to conjugate well, I would conjugate without mistakes.
tu conjugasses Si tu écoutais moins de musique, tu conjugasses plus vite. If you listened to less music, you would conjugate faster.
il conjuguât Il serait surpris si il conjuguât tous les verbes correctement. He would be surprised if he conjugated all the verbs correctly.
elle conjuguât Elle serait plus confiante si elle conjuguât mieux. She would be more confident if she conjugated better.
on conjuguât Si on conjuguât avec précision, on éviterait les erreurs. If one conjugated with precision, one would avoid mistakes.
nous conjuguassions Si nous conjuguassions ensemble, on pourrait s’entraider. If we conjugated together, we could help each other.
vous conjuguassiez Si vous conjuguassiez correctement, vous auriez de meilleures notes. If you conjugated correctly, you would have better grades.
ils conjuguassent S’ils conjuguassent plus souvent, ils s’amélioreraient. If they conjugated more often, they would improve.
elles conjuguassent Si elles conjuguassent plus tôt, elles finiraient plus vite. If they conjugated earlier, they would finish faster.

Other Conjugations for Conjuguer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb conjuguer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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