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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb costumer

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The English translation of the French verb costumer is “to dress up” or “to costume”. It is pronounced as “koh-stew-may”.

The word “costumer” comes from the French noun “costume”, which means “costume” or “outfit”. In everyday French, the verb “costumer” is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express uncertain or hypothetical actions in the past.

Example 1: Il fallait que je me costumasse pour la fête.
English translation: I had to dress up for the party.
(In this sentence, the speaker is uncertain about the action of dressing up, as indicated by the use of the Subjonctif Imparfait tense)

Example 2: Il serait mieux que tu te costumasses en pirate.
English translation: It would be better if you dressed up as a pirate.
(In this sentence, the speaker is suggesting a hypothetical action of dressing up as a pirate)

Example 3: Nous souhaitions que vous vous costumassiez en personnages de Disney.
English translation: We wished that you dressed up as Disney characters.
(In this sentence, the speaker is expressing a desire for a hypothetical action of dressing up as Disney characters)

In each of these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to convey a sense of uncertainty or possibility, as well as to express a hypothetical or desired action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je costumasse Je serais plus heureux si je costumasse plus souvent. I would be happier if I dressed up more often.
tu costumasses Si tu venais déguisé, tu costumasses avec moi. If you came dressed up, you would match me.
il costumât Il serait plus drôle si il costumât pour la fête. It would be funnier if he dressed up for the party.
elle costumât Elle serait plus convaincante si elle costumât mieux. She would be more convincing if she dressed up better.
on costumât Si on costumât tous les ans, ça serait amusant. If one dressed up every year, it would be fun.
nous costumassions Si nous costumassions ensemble, ça serait génial. If we dressed up together, it would be awesome.
vous costumassiez Si vous costumassiez plus tôt, vous auriez des costumes plus cool. If you dressed up earlier, you would have cooler costumes.
ils costumassent S’ils costumassent comme ça, ils gagneraient le concours. If they dressed up like that, they would win the contest.
elles costumassent Si elles costumassent ensemble, elles auraient plus de choix. If they dressed up together, they would have more options.

Other Conjugations for Costumer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb costumer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Costumer – 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.

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