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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb efforcer

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The English translation of the French verb efforcer is “to make an effort” or “to try.”

The infinitive form of efforcer is pronounced as “eh-for-say.”

The word originates from the Latin word “forcare,” meaning “to force” or “to exert oneself.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses an action or situation that is uncertain, hypothetical, or dependent on another action.

  1. Je souhaitais que tu t’efforçasses davantage pour réussir tes examens. (I wished that you would make more effort to pass your exams.)

  2. Elle n’était pas sûre qu’il s’efforçât de comprendre son point de vue. (She wasn’t sure if he was trying to understand her point of view.)

  3. Je doutais que nous nous efforçassions de trouver une solution pacifique. (I doubted that we were making an effort to find a peaceful solution.)

English translations:

  1. I wished that you would make more effort to pass your exams.

  2. She wasn’t sure if he was trying to understand her point of view.

  3. I doubted that we were making an effort to find a peaceful solution.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je m’efforçasse Si j’avais le temps, je m’efforçasse de terminer toutes mes tâches. If I had the time, I would strive to finish all my tasks.
tu t’efforçasses Si tu te concentrais plus, tu t’efforçasses pour réussir. If you focused more, you would strive to succeed.
il s’efforçât Il serait plus fort s’il s’efforçât de faire de l’exercice régulièrement. He would be stronger if he strived to exercise regularly.
elle s’efforçât Elle serait plus calme si elle s’efforçât de respirer profondément. She would be calmer if she strived to breathe deeply.
on s’efforçât Si on s’efforçât de comprendre les autres, on aurait moins de conflits. If one strived to understand others, there would be less conflicts.
nous nous efforcions Si nous nous efforcions de mieux communiquer, nous aurions une meilleure relation. If we strived to communicate better, we would have a better relationship.
vous vous efforciez Si vous vous efforciez de moins stresser, vous seriez plus détendu. If you strived to stress less, you would be more relaxed.
ils s’efforçassent S’ils s’efforçassent de travailler plus dur, ils auraient plus de succès. If they strived to work harder, they would have more success.
elles s’efforçassent Si elles s’efforçassent de se concentrer davantage, elles feraient moins d’erreurs. If they strived to focus more, they would make fewer mistakes.

Other Conjugations for Efforcer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb efforcer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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