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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb effrayer

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

Effrayer comes from the Old French word “effreer,” which was derived from the Latin word “exfricare” meaning “to cause terror.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of effrayer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que tu l’effrayasses pour qu’il parte. (It was necessary for you to scare him so that he would leave.)
  2. J’avais peur qu’elle ne m’effrayât avec ses cris. (I was afraid she would scare me with her screams.)
  3. Je voulais que vous l’effrayiez pour qu’il comprenne ses erreurs. (I wanted you to frighten him so he would understand his mistakes.)

English translations:

  1. It was necessary for you to scare him so that he would leave.
  2. I was afraid she would scare me with her screams.
  3. I wanted you to frighten him so he would understand his mistakes.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je effrayasse Je ne voudrais pas qu’on m’effrayasse. I wouldn’t want to be scared.
tu effrayasses Si tu allais dans le manoir hanté, tu effrayasses tes amis. If you went to the haunted mansion, you would scare your friends.
il effrayât Il pourrait y avoir un monstre si il effrayât les enfants. There could be a monster if he scared the children.
elle effrayât Si elle effrayât plus facilement, elle ne serait pas fan d’horreur. If she got scared more easily, she wouldn’t be a horror fan.
on effrayât Si on effrayât moins, on aurait plus de courage. If one got less scared, one would have more courage.
nous effrayassions Si nous effrayassions les oiseaux, ils s’envoleraient. If we scared the birds, they would fly away.
vous effrayassiez Si vous effrayassiez vos invités, ils ne reviendraient pas. If you scared your guests, they wouldn’t come back.
ils effrayassent S’ils effrayassent leurs ennemis, ils gagneraient la bataille. If they scared their enemies, they would win the battle.
elles effrayassent Si elles effrayassent le public, les gens partiraient en courant. If they scared the audience, people would run away.

Other Conjugations for Effrayer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effrayer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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