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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cristalliser

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The English translation of the French verb cristalliser is “to crystallize.” The infinitive form, cristalliser, is pronounced as “kree-stah-lee-zay” with the stress on the final syllable.

Cristalliser comes from the Latin word crystallum, meaning “crystal,” and the French suffix -iser, which is used to form verbs. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a possible action or situation in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Il fallait que je cristallise mes idées avant de prendre une décision. (I had to crystallize my ideas before making a decision.)

  2. Nous espérions que la situation se cristalliserait rapidement. (We hoped that the situation would crystallize quickly.)

  3. Il aurait mieux valu que tu cristallises ta colère plutôt que de l’exprimer de façon impulsive. (It would have been better if you had crystallized your anger instead of expressing it impulsively.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je cristallisasse Si je n’avais pas peur de l’eau, je cristallisasse mon urine. If I weren’t afraid of water, I would crystallize my urine.
tu cristallisasses Si tu cristallisasses ton sel, il serait plus pur. If you crystallized your salt, it would be purer.
il cristallisât Il serait possible que le sucre cristallisât plus rapidement dans l’eau chaude. It would be possible for sugar to crystallize more quickly in hot water.
elle cristallisât Elle serait étonnée si la glace cristallisât au-dessus de l’eau. She would be surprised if ice crystallized above the water.
on cristallisât Il serait mieux si on cristallisât le miel avant de le manger. It would be better if one crystallized honey before eating it.
nous cristallisassions Si nous cristallisassions le jus de fruits, il serait plus sucré. If we crystallized fruit juice, it would be sweeter.
vous cristallisassiez Si vous cristallisassiez plus souvent, vous deviendriez un expert. If you crystallized more often, you would become an expert.
ils cristallisassent Si ils ne cristallisassent pas leurs émotions, ils seraient plus calmes. If they didn’t crystallize their emotions, they would be calmer.
elles cristallisassent Si elles cristallisassent leur sueur, ça serait plus salé. If they crystallized their sweat, it would be saltier.

Other Conjugations for Cristalliser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cristalliser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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