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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb emmêler

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The English translation of the French verb emmêler is “to tangle, to mess up, to confuse, to mix up.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “eh-may-lay.”

The language origin of emmêler comes from the Old French word “esmeler,” which means “to mix, to mingle.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain situation in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je m’emmêle les pinceaux en parlant avec mon patron. (I had to mess up while talking to my boss.)
  2. J’aurais aimé que tu ne t’emmêles pas dans tes explications. (I wish you hadn’t confused yourself in your explanations.)
  3. Si nous ne nous étions pas emmêlés dans ce projet, nous aurions pu le terminer à temps. (If we hadn’t messed up in this project, we could have finished it on time.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je emmêlasse Si je n’étais pas si fatigué, j’emmêlasse les fils. If I wasn’t so tired, I would tangle the threads.
tu emmêlasses Si tu ne regardais pas, tu emmêlasses tout. If you didn’t pay attention, you would tangle everything.
il emmêlât Il serait plus facile s’il emmêlât tout ensemble. It would be easier if he tangled everything together.
elle emmêlât Elle dormirait mieux si elle n’emêlât pas ses cheveux. She would sleep better if she didn’t tangle her hair.
on emmêlât Si on emmêlât tous les fils, ça serait un cauchemar. If one tangled all the threads, it would be a nightmare.
nous emmêlassions Si nous emmêlassions nos problèmes, ils seraient plus faciles à résoudre. If we tangled our problems, they would be easier to solve.
vous emmêlassiez Si vous emmêlassiez les câbles, ça serait dangereux. If you tangled the cables, it would be dangerous.
ils emmêlassent S’ils n’emmêlassent pas leurs histoires, ils seraient plus crédibles. If they didn’t tangle their stories, they would be more believable.
elles emmêlassent Si elles emmêlassent leurs vêtements, ça serait compliqué. If they tangled their clothes, it would be complicated.

Other Conjugations for Emmêler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb emmêler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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