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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb effarer

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The English translation of the French verb effarer is “to frighten” or “to scare.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “eh-fa-ray.”

Effarer comes from the Old French word “esfarer,” which means “to become wild” or “to be scared.” It is derived from the Latin word “ex,” meaning “out,” and “fari,” meaning “to speak.”

In everyday French, effarer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or state in the past. This tense is used to convey a wish, emotion, or doubt about a past event.

Here are three examples of effarer used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’avais peur que le bruit ne m’effarât. (I was afraid that the noise would frighten me.)
  2. Il fallait que tu ne t’effarasses pas si facilement. (It was necessary for you to not get scared so easily.)
  3. Nous avions peur qu’ils ne s’effarassent de l’orage. (We were afraid that they would be scared of the thunderstorm.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je effarasse Si j’étais présent, je effarasse les invités. If I were present, I would amaze the guests.
tu effarasses Si tu étais un peu plus courageux, tu effarasses tout le monde. If you were a little braver, you would amaze everyone.
il effarât Il serait choqué s’il effarât tout le monde. He would be shocked if he amazed everyone.
elle effarât Elle serait émerveillée si elle effarât les enfants avec des tours de magie. She would be amazed if she amazed the children with magic tricks.
on effarât Si on effarât les spectateurs avec des acrobaties, on gagnerait leur admiration. If we amazed the spectators with acrobatics, we would win their admiration.
nous effarassions Si nous effarassions les élèves avec nos connaissances, ils apprendraient plus vite. If we amazed the students with our knowledge, they would learn faster.
vous effarassiez Si vous effarassiez les clients avec vos produits, ils achèteraient plus souvent. If you amazed customers with your products, they would buy more often.
ils effarassent S’ils effarassent la foule avec leur talent, ils deviendraient célèbres. If they amazed the crowd with their talent, they would become famous.
elles effarassent Si elles effarassent leurs amis avec leurs compétences, ça serait impressionnant. If they amazed their friends with their skills, it would be impressive.

Other Conjugations for Effarer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effarer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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