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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb emmurer

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The English translation of the French verb emmurer is “to wall in” or “to brick up.” It is pronounced [eh-mew-ray].

The word emmurer is derived from the Old French word “murer,” which means “to wall up.” It is composed of the prefix “em-” which means “in” and the root word “mur” which means “wall.” It is most commonly used in the context of building or constructing walls.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, emmurer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in conjunction with conjunctions such as “si” (if) or “peut-être” (perhaps).

Example 1: Si j’avais su qu’il allait trahir mes secrets, je l’aurais emmuré dans sa chambre. (If I had known he was going to betray my secrets, I would have walled him up in his room.)

Example 2: Peut-être qu’ils m’auraient emmurée vivante si je n’avais pas réussi à m’enfuir. (Perhaps they would have walled me up alive if I hadn’t managed to escape.)

Example 3: Il était possible que la princesse ait emmuré l’oiseau magique pour le protéger des sorciers. (It was possible that the princess had walled up the magic bird to protect it from the sorcerers.)

In all of these examples, emmurer is used to describe a past action that may or may not have happened, and it is often accompanied by a sense of uncertainty or possibility.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je emmurasse Si je vivais seul, je m’emmurasse dans ma solitude. If I lived alone, I would wall myself in my solitude.
tu emmurasses Si tu étais prisonnier, tu t’emmurasses dans ta cellule. If you were a prisoner, you would wall yourself in your cell.
il emmurât Il serait fou s’il s’emmurât vivant. He would be crazy if he walled himself alive.
elle emmurât Elle se sentirait en sécurité si elle s’emmurât chez elle. She would feel safe if she walled herself in her house.
on emmurât Si on s’emmurât des souvenirs tristes, on vivrait dans la nostalgie. If one walled oneself in sad memories, one would live in nostalgia.
nous emmurassions Si nous emmurassions cette pièce, elle serait plus isolée. If we walled off this room, it would be more isolated.
vous emmurassiez Si vous emmurassiez moins vos émotions, vous seriez plus ouverts. If you walled off your emotions less, you would be more open.
ils emmurassent S’ils s’emmurassent dans leur ignorance, ils ne pourraient jamais apprendre. If they walled themselves in their ignorance, they could never learn.
elles emmurassent Si elles s’emmurassent dans leur tristesse, elles ne pourraient jamais guérir. If they walled themselves in their sadness, they could never heal.

Other Conjugations for Emmurer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb emmurer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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