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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb consterner

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The English translation of the French verb consterner is “to dismay” or “to shock.” It is pronounced as “kohn-stehr-neh.”

The word consterner comes from the Latin word consternare, which means “to confuse” or “to startle.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a past tense used to express uncertainty, doubt, or a hypothetical situation.

Some common ways of using consterner in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense include:

1) Il fallait que je me consterne devant cette nouvelle.
Translation: I had to be shocked by this news.

2) Il était possible que nos parents se consternent de notre décision.
Translation: It was possible that our parents were dismayed by our decision.

3) J’aimais que mes grands-parents ne se consternent pas devant mes choix de vie.
Translation: I liked it when my grandparents were not dismayed by my life choices.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je consternasse Si j’étais à sa place, je consternasse ses actions. If I were in his place, I would be appalled by his actions.
tu consternasses Si tu étais plus attentif, tu consternasses moins. If you were more attentive, you would be less dismayed.
il consternât Il serait surpris si il consternât les résultats. He would be surprised if he were to be dismayed by the results.
elle consternât Elle serait déçue si elle consternât ses choix. She would be disappointed if she were to be dismayed by her choices.
on consternât Si on consternât moins souvent, on serait plus heureux. If one were less dismayed, one would be happier.
nous consternassions Si nous consternassions nos adversaires, on gagnerait. If we dismayed our opponents, we would win.
vous consternassiez Si vous consternassiez votre entourage, vous vous sentiriez mal. If you dismayed your surroundings, you would feel bad.
ils consternassent S’ils consternassent moins, ils auraient plus confiance. If they were less dismayed, they would have more confidence.
elles consternassent Si elles consternassent ensemble, ça serait catastrophique. If they were all dismayed together, it would be catastrophic.

Other Conjugations for Consterner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb consterner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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