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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embaumer

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The English translation of the French verb embaumer is “to embalm.” It is pronounced as “ahm-boh-may.”

Embaumer comes from the Latin word “balsamare” meaning “to anoint with balsam.” It was later adapted into the Old French word “basmer” and eventually became “embaumer” in modern French.

In everyday French, the verb embaumer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a possibility or a hypothetical situation in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Il fallait que je l’embaume avant de l’enterrer. (I had to embalm him before burying him.)
  2. J’aurais aimé qu’elle l’embaume selon ses dernières volontés. (I wished she would have embalmed him according to his last wishes.)
  3. Nous souhaitions qu’ils embaument notre grand-père pour préserver son corps. (We wanted them to embalm our grandfather to preserve his body.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je embaumasse Si j’avais un bouquet, je l’embaumasse. If I had a bouquet, I would make it smell nice.
tu embaumasses Si tu voulais, tu embaumasses ta maison. If you wanted, you would make your house smell nice.
il embaumât Il serait calme s’il embaumât la pièce. He would be calm if he made the room smell nice.
elle embaumât Elle serait heureuse si elle embaumât le jardin. She would be happy if she made the garden smell nice.
on embaumât Si on embaumât les invités, ils se sentiraient bienvenus. If one made the guests feel welcome, they would feel good.
nous embaumassions Si nous embaumassions la maison, elle sentirait bon. If we made the house smell nice, it would smell good.
vous embaumassiez Si vous embaumassiez la pièce, elle sentirait la lavande. If you made the room smell nice, it would smell like lavender.
ils embaumassent S’ils embaumassent leur voiture, elle sentirait le neuf. If they made their car smell nice, it would smell new.
elles embaumassent Si elles embaumassent la maison, on aurait envie de rester. If they made the house smell nice, one would want to stay.

Other Conjugations for Embaumer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embaumer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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