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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb crisper

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The English translation of the French verb crisper is “to crisp” or “to make crispy.” The infinitive form is pronounced “kris-pey.”

The word “crisper” comes from the Old French word “crisper” meaning “to crackle” or “to rustle.” It is most often used in every day French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or state.

Three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je crisse les feuilles pour que mes enfants puissent jouer dedans. (I had to crisp the leaves so that my children could play in them.)
  2. Je souhaitais que tu crispes bien les pommes de terre avant de les faire frire. (I wished for you to crisp the potatoes well before frying them.)
  3. Elle désirait que nous crispions la pâte pour une croûte plus croustillante. (She wanted us to crisp the dough for a crunchier crust.)

In each of these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a desire, wish, or need for the action to be done, without certainty that it will actually happen.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je crispasse Si j’étais à ta place, je crispasse mes poings. If I were in your place, I would clench my fists.
tu crispasses Si tu entendais crier, tu crispasses tes oreilles. If you heard screaming, you would cover your ears.
il crispât Il serait ému si il crispât le papier. He would be moved if he crumpled the paper.
elle crispât Elle serait en colère si elle crispât ses lèvres. She would be angry if she pursed her lips.
on crispât Si on crispât trop, on briserait le verre. If one squeezed too hard, one would break the glass.
nous crispassions Si nous nous crispassions, on nous verrait. If we tensed up, we would be noticed.
vous crispassiez Si vous me crispassiez, je vous ignorerais. If you made me tense, I would ignore you.
ils crispassent S’ils crispassent les feuilles, le livre serait abîmé. If they crumpled the pages, the book would be damaged.
elles crispassent Si elles crispassent leurs mains, elles seront nerveuses. If they clench their hands, they will be nervous.

Other Conjugations for Crisper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb crisper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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