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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb effacer

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The English translation of the French verb effacer is “to erase.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “eh-fah-say.”

Effacer comes from the Latin word “effacere” meaning “to wipe out” or “to obliterate.” It entered the French language in the 12th century.

In everyday French, the verb effacer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is typically used after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.

Example 1:
Je souhaitais que tu effaçasses cette erreur.
(I wished that you would erase this mistake.)

Example 2:
Il fallait que nous effacions nos différences pour avancer.
(We had to erase our differences to move forward.)

Example 3:
Il était important que vous effaciez toutes les traces de notre passage.
(It was important that you erased all traces of our presence.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je effaçasse Si j’avais un effaceur, j’effaçasse mes erreurs. If I had an eraser, I would erase my mistakes.
tu effaçasses Si tu effaçasses plus souvent, tu ne ferais pas d’erreurs. If you erased more often, you wouldn’t make mistakes.
il effaçât Il serait content si il effaçât tout. He would be happy if he erased everything.
elle effaçât Elle serait à l’heure si elle effaçât mon numéro. She would be on time if she erased my number.
on effaçât Si on effaçât le tableau, on pourrait recommencer. If one erased the board, we could start over.
nous effacions Si nous effacions les mots blessants, on vivrait mieux. If we erased hurtful words, we would live better.
vous effaciez Si vous effaciez les erreurs, vous seriez pardonné. If you erased the mistakes, you would be forgiven.
ils effaçassent S’ils effaçassent les messages indésirables, ils seraient tranquilles. If they erased unwanted messages, they would be at peace.
elles effaçassent Si elles effaçassent les traces, ça serait propre. If they erased the traces, it would be clean.

Other Conjugations for Effacer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effacer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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