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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empenner

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The English translation of the French verb empenner is “to feather” or “to fletch.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahm-pen-nay.”

Empenner is derived from the Latin word “penna,” meaning “feather.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is commonly used in literary and formal contexts.

Here are three examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je l’empenne pour que la flèche vole droit. (I had to feather it so that the arrow would fly straight.)

  2. Si tu l’empennais mieux, tu toucherais sûrement la cible. (If you fletched it better, you would definitely hit the target.)

  3. J’aimerais que mes flèches soient toujours bien empannées. (I wish my arrows were always well fletched.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je empenasse Si je faisais plus attention, je empenasse mieux. If I paid more attention, I would do better.
tu empenasses Tu réussirais si tu empenasses plus. You would succeed if you tried harder.
il empenât Il serait content si il empenât correctement. He would be happy if he did it correctly.
elle empenât Elle ferait mieux si elle empenât rapidement. She would do better if she did it quickly.
on empenât Si on empenât plus, on serait plus fort. If one did it more, one would be stronger.
nous empenassions Si nous empenassions ensemble, on réussirait. If we did it together, we would succeed.
vous empenassiez Si vous empenassiez plus fort, vous seriez plus précis. If you tried harder, you would be more accurate.
ils empenassent S’ils empenassent plus souvent, ils atteindraient leur but. If they did it more often, they would reach their goal.
elles empenassent Si elles empenassent mieux, elles auraient plus de succès. If they did it better, they would have more success.

Other Conjugations for Empenner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empenner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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