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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb effondrer

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The English translation of the French verb effondrer is “to collapse” or “to crumble.” The infinitive form, effondrer, is pronounced “eh-fon-dreh.”

Effondrer comes from the Old French word “effonder,” which means “to overturn, collapse, or destroy.” It is derived from the Latin word “fundere,” meaning “to pour” or “to melt.”

In everyday French, effondrer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or state in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the conjunction “si” (if). Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Si je n’avais pas travaillé si dur, je me serais effondrée. (If I hadn’t worked so hard, I would have collapsed.)

  2. Elle croyait que sa vie s’effondrerait si elle ne réussissait pas son examen. (She believed her life would crumble if she didn’t pass her exam.)

  3. Si tu ne m’avais pas sauvé, je me serais effondré dans la rue. (If you hadn’t saved me, I would have collapsed on the street.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je m’effondrasse Si j’avais peur, je m’effondrasse sur le sol. If I were scared, I would collapse on the ground.
tu t’effondrasses Si tu n’étais pas fort, tu t’effondrasses facilement. If you weren’t strong, you would collapse easily.
il s’effondrât Il serait déçu s’il s’effondrât devant tous ses amis. He would be disappointed if he collapsed in front of all his friends.
elle s’effondrât Elle serait triste si elle s’effondrât en public. She would be sad if she collapsed in public.
on s’effondrât Si on s’effondrât, il faudrait appeler une ambulance. If one collapsed, we would have to call an ambulance.
nous nous effondrassions Si nous n’avions pas de support, nous nous effondrassions. If we didn’t have support, we would collapse.
vous vous effondrassiez Si vous voyiez quelqu’un s’effondrer, vous l’aideriez. If you saw someone collapsing, you would help them.
ils s’effondrassent S’ils n’étaient pas prudents, ils s’effondrassent sur les rochers. If they weren’t careful, they would collapse on the rocks.
elles s’effondrassent Si elles se moquaient de lui, il s’effondrassent en larmes. If they made fun of him, he would collapse in tears.

Other Conjugations for Effondrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effondrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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