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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb convier

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The English translation of the French verb convier is “to invite.” It is pronounced “kohn-vyey.”

Convier comes from the Latin word “convitare,” meaning “to entertain” or “to feast.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or situation in the past.

Here are three simple examples of convier in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu convies tes amis à la fête. (I wished that you would invite your friends to the party.)
  2. Il fallait que nous vous conviions à notre mariage. (We had to invite you to our wedding.)
  3. Elle aurait aimé que je lui convie à dîner. (She would have liked me to invite her to dinner.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je conviasse J’aimerais que je conviasse mes amis. I wish I could invite my friends.
tu conviasses Si tu avais pu venir, tu conviasses tes frères. If you could have come, you would have invited your brothers.
il conviât Il serait heureux si il conviât ses parents. He would be happy if he invited his parents.
elle conviât Elle souhaitait qu’elle conviât tout le monde. She wished she could invite everyone.
on conviât Si on conviât plus de gens, ça serait plus amusant. If we invited more people, it would be more fun.
nous conviassions Si nous conviassions nos voisins, ils seraient contents. If we invited our neighbors, they would be happy.
vous conviassiez J’aurais aimé que vous conviassiez vos amis. I wish you could have invited your friends.
ils conviassent S’ils conviassent leur famille, ils auraient une grande fête. If they invited their family, they would have a big party.
elles conviassent Si elles conviassent leurs collègues, elles auraient une meilleure ambiance au travail. If they invited their colleagues, they would have a better work environment.

Other Conjugations for Convier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb convier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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