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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embrayer

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The English translation of the French verb embrayer is “to engage” or “to shift gears.” It is pronounced as “ahm-breh-yeh.”

The origin of the word embrayer comes from the Old French word “embrayer,” meaning “to put in gear.” It is derived from the Latin word “imbreviare,” which means “to make brief.”

In everyday French, embrayer is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is commonly used in conditional and reported speech constructions.

Example 1:
Je souhaitais qu’il embrayât avant de démarrer la voiture.
I wished he would engage before starting the car.

Example 2:
Il voulait que je n’embrayasse pas trop vite.
He wanted me to not shift gears too quickly.

Example 3:
Si je n’étais pas tombé malade, j’aurais embrayé ce projet il y a longtemps.
If I hadn’t gotten sick, I would have started this project a long time ago.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je embrayasse Si je roulais plus vite, je embrayasse trop. If I drove faster, I would shift too much.
tu embrayasses Si tu me regardais, tu embrayasses plus vite. If you looked at me, you would shift faster.
il embrayât Il serait heureux s’il embrayât sans problème. He would be happy if he shifted without any problems.
elle embrayât Elle serait en retard si elle embrayât mal. She would be late if she shifted poorly.
on embrayât Si on embrayât trop brusquement, on calerait. If one shifted too abruptly, one would stall.
nous embrayassions Si nous embrayassions en douceur, nous roulerions mieux. If we shifted smoothly, we would drive better.
vous embrayassiez Si vous embrayassiez plus tôt, vous économiseriez de l’essence. If you shifted earlier, you would save gas.
ils embrayassent S’ils embrayassent plus tôt, ils ne caleraient pas. If they shifted earlier, they wouldn’t stall.
elles embrayassent Si elles embrayassent mieux, elles accéléreraient plus vite. If they shifted better, they would accelerate faster.

Other Conjugations for Embrayer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embrayer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Embrayer – 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.

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