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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embarrasser

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of embarrasser. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

English translation: The English translation of the French verb embarrasser is “to embarrass/to make embarrassed.” The infinitive form is pronounced as /ɑ̃.ba.ʁa.se/.

Language origin: The verb embarrasser comes from the Old French word embaracier, which is derived from the Italian imbarazzare, meaning “to block.” It was first used in the 17th century in French literature and gradually evolved to its current meaning of “to embarrass.”

Usage in Subjonctif Imparfait tense: In everyday French, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, also known as the imperfect subjunctive, is used to express a wish, a doubt, or a hypothetical situation in the past.

Example 1: J’aurais aimé que tu ne m’embarrasses pas devant mes amis. (I wish you had not embarrassed me in front of my friends.)

Example 2: Je ne pensais pas qu’il fût embarrassé par mes questions. (I didn’t think he was embarrassed by my questions.)

Example 3: Il fallait que je l’embarrassasse pour qu’il comprenne que ses actions étaient inappropriées. (I had to embarrass him so he would understand that his actions were inappropriate.)

English translations:

  1. I wish you had not embarrassed me in front of my friends.
  2. I didn’t think he was embarrassed by my questions.
  3. I had to embarrass him so he would understand that his actions were inappropriate.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je embarrassasse Bien que j’aie peur, je m’embarrassasse devant eux. Even though I’m scared, I would get embarrassed in front of them.
tu embarrassasses Si tu étais avec moi, tu embarrassasses toujours la situation. If you were with me, you would always make the situation awkward.
il embarrassât Il serait gêné si il embarrassât sa famille. He would be embarrassed if he embarrassed his family.
elle embarrassât Elle serait mal à l’aise si elle embarrassât son patron. She would feel uncomfortable if she embarrassed her boss.
on embarrassât Si on embarrassât moins, on aurait plus d’amis. If one wasn’t so awkward, one would have more friends.
nous embarrassassions Si nous nous embarrassassions moins, nous nous sentirions mieux. If we didn’t get embarrassed so easily, we would feel better.
vous embarrassassiez Si vous vous embarrassassiez moins, vous seriez plus à l’aise. If you didn’t get embarrassed so easily, you would feel more at ease.
ils embarrassassent S’ils embarrassassent leur professeur, ils seraient punis. If they embarrassed their teacher, they would be punished.
elles embarrassassent Si elles s’embarrassassent moins, elles seraient plus confiantes. If they didn’t get embarrassed so easily, they would be more confident.

Other Conjugations for Embarrasser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarrasser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the embarrasser Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts