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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb crier

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The English translation of the French verb crier is “to shout” or “to scream.” The infinitive form, crier, is pronounced as “kree-ay.”

The origin of the word crier can be traced back to the Latin word “quirere,” meaning “to call out” or “to shout.” It entered the French language in the 12th century, and its meaning has remained relatively unchanged since then.

In everyday French, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is most often used in subordinate clauses after verbs such as espérer (to hope), vouloir (to want), or souhaiter (to wish).

Three simple examples of crier in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. J’espérais que tu cries plus fort. (I was hoping you would shout louder.)
  2. Elle souhaitait que je ne crie pas trop. (She wished that I wouldn’t scream too much.)
  3. Nous voulions qu’ils crient pour nous aider. (We wanted them to shout to help us.)

In these examples, crier is conjugated in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past, after the corresponding verbs. The English translations also use the past tense to convey the same meaning.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je criasse J’aimerais que je criasse plus fort. I wish I shouted louder.
tu criasses Si tu avais peur, tu criasses. If you were scared, you would shout.
il criât Il vaudrait mieux qu’il criât moins fort. He should shout less.
elle criât Elle préférait qu’elle criât plus tôt. She wished she shouted earlier.
on criât Pour éviter les conflits, il faudrait qu’on criât moins. To avoid conflicts, one should shout less.
nous criassions Il serait plus calme si nous criassions toujours. It would be calmer if we shouted always.
vous criassiez Si vous criassiez moins fort, vous n’effrayez pas les enfants. If you shouted less, you wouldn’t scare the children.
ils criassent S’ils criassent plus fort, je fermerais les fenêtres. If they shouted louder, I would close the windows.
elles criassent Je me demande pourquoi elles criassent si fort. I wonder why they shout so loud.

Other Conjugations for Crier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb crier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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