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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb conserver

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The English translation of the French verb conserver is “to preserve” or “to maintain.” It is pronounced as “kohn-sehr-ve” in its infinitive form.

The word “conserver” comes from the Latin word “conservare,” which means “to keep, preserve, maintain.” It entered the French language in the 14th century.

In everyday French, the verb conserver is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used with the conjunctions “que” or “si” to introduce the subordinate clause.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je conserver mes forces pour la fin de la course. (I had to preserve my strength for the end of the race.)

  2. Si j’avais su, je t’aurais conseillé de conserver le contrat. (If I had known, I would have advised you to keep the contract.)

  3. Nous aurions aimé qu’ils conservent le bâtiment historique. (We would have liked for them to preserve the historic building.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je conservasse Si je travaille moins, je conservasse plus d’argent. If I worked less, I would save more money.
tu conservasses Si tu étudies plus, tu conservasses mieux. If you studied more, you would preserve better.
il conservât Il serait content si il conservât son emploi. He would be happy if he kept his job.
elle conservât Elle serait surprise si elle conservât ses objets précieux. She would be surprised if she preserved her valuable items.
on conservât Si on conservât mieux les aliments, on gaspillerait moins. If one stored food better, one would waste less.
nous conservassions Si nous conservassions nos traditions, nous serions plus fidèles. If we preserved our traditions, we would be more loyal.
vous conservassiez Si vous conservassiez vos livres, vous auriez une belle bibliothèque. If you kept your books, you would have a beautiful library.
ils conservassent S’ils conservassent leur calme, ils auraient moins de conflits. If they kept their calm, they would have less conflicts.
elles conservassent Si elles conservassent leur beauté, elles prendraient moins de produits de beauté. If they preserved their beauty, they would use less beauty products.

Other Conjugations for Conserver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb conserver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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