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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empeigner

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The English translation of the French verb empeigner is “to grab” or “to seize.” It is pronounced “ahm-payn-yay.” Empeigner is derived from the Old French word “empain,” which means “to take hold of” or “to seize.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples of empeigner in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je l’empeignasse pour l’empêcher de s’enfuir. (I had to grab him to prevent him from escaping.)

  2. Nous avions peur qu’elle ne nous empeignât pour voler nos affaires. (We were afraid that she would grab us to steal our belongings.)

  3. Il craignait que le chien ne l’empeignât pour le mordre. (He was afraid that the dog would grab him to bite him.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je empeignasse Si j’avais une autre chance, je empeignasse le travail. If I had another chance, I would tackle the job.
tu empeignasses Si tu étais plus fort, tu empeignasses le projet. If you were stronger, you would take on the project.
il empeignât Il serait content si il empeignât le défi. He would be happy if he tackled the challenge.
elle empeignât Elle serait surprise si elle empeignât la tâche. She would be surprised if she tackled the task.
on empeignât Si on empeignât plus tôt, on finirait plus vite. If one tackled it earlier, one would finish faster.
nous empeignassions Si nous empeignassions ensemble, nous réussirions. If we tackled together, we would succeed.
vous empeignassiez Si vous empeignassiez plus de responsabilités, vous progresseriez. If you took on more responsibilities, you would make progress.
ils empeignassent S’ils empeignassent les difficultés, ils surmonteraient les obstacles. If they tackled the difficulties, they would overcome the obstacles.
elles empeignassent Si elles empeignassent le problème, elles le résoudraient. If they tackled the problem, they would solve it.

Other Conjugations for Empeigner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empeigner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Empeigner – 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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