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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb insinuer

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The English translation of the French verb insinuer is “to insinuate.” It is pronounced as “ehn-see-noo-eh.”

Insinuer comes from the Latin verb “insinuare,” meaning “to introduce or ingratiate oneself.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and has been used to convey the action of subtly hinting or implying something.

In everyday French, insinuer is most often used in the Subjonctif Présent tense to express a desire or a suggestion, often in a subtle or indirect manner. Here are three simple examples:

  1. Il faut que tu insinues que tu as besoin de leur aide. (You must insinuate that you need their help.)

  2. Je doute qu’il insinue quelque chose de mal à ton sujet. (I doubt he is insinuating something bad about you.)

  3. Ma mère m’a dit d’insinuer que je n’étais pas intéressée par le cadeau. (My mother told me to insinuate that I wasn’t interested in the gift.)

English translations:

  1. It is necessary for you to insinuate that you need their help.

  2. I doubt he is insinuating something bad about you.

  3. My mother told me to insinuate that I wasn’t interested in the gift.

Table of the Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of insinuer

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Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je insinue Il est possible que je insinue. It’s possible I insinuate.
tu insinues Je doute que tu insinues quelque chose. I doubt you insinuate something.
il insinue Je veux qu’il insinue quelque chose. I want him to insinuate something.
elle insinue Elle est surprise que j’insinue cela. She is surprised I insinuate that.
on insinue Il est important qu’on insinue. It’s important we insinuate.
nous insinuions Je ne crois pas que nous insinuions. I don’t believe we insinuate.
vous insinuiez Je préfère que vous insinuiez cela. I prefer you insinuate that.
ils insinuent Il est possible qu’ils insinuent. It’s possible they insinuate.
elles insinuent Il est essentiel qu’elles insinuent. It’s essential they insinuate.

Other Conjugations for Insinuer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb insinuer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb insinuer (this article)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Insinuer – About the French Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense

The French Subjonctif Présent, often referred to simply as the “subjunctive mood,” is a verb tense used to express doubt, uncertainty, subjectivity, and emotions. It is not used to describe actions or facts that are considered certain or objective. Here, I will explain the Subjonctif Présent tense, its common everyday usage patterns, and how it interacts with other tenses in French.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation of the Subjonctif Présent

To form the Subjonctif Présent tense for regular verbs, you typically follow these rules

1. Start with the third-person plural (ils/elles) form of the present tense of the verb.
2. Remove the -ent ending.
3. Add the appropriate endings for each verb group:
   – For -er verbs: e, es, e, ions, iez, ent.
   – For -ir verbs: e, es, e, issions, issiez, issent.
   – For -re verbs: e, es, e, ions, iez, ent.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

1. Expressing Uncertainty and Doubt. The Subjonctif Présent is commonly used to express uncertainty, doubt, or subjective feelings. For example:
   – Je doute qu’il vienne. (I doubt he is coming.)
   – Il est possible que nous ayons des problèmes. (It is possible that we will have problems.)

2. Emotions and Desires. You use the subjunctive to express emotions, desires, hopes, and wishes.
   – Je veux que tu sois heureux. (I want you to be happy.)
   – J’aimerais que vous veniez à la fête. (I would like you to come to the party.)

3. Impersonal Expressions. Some impersonal expressions require the Subjonctif Présent, such as “il est important que” (it is important that), “il est nécessaire que” (it is necessary that), or “il faut que” (it is necessary that).
   – Il est nécessaire que nous partions. (It is necessary that we leave.)

4. Expressions of Possibility and Hypothesis. Subjunctive can be used to express possibilities and hypotheses:
   – Si j’étais riche, je voyagerais. (If I were rich, I would travel.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

The Subjonctif Présent can interact with other tenses in various ways:

1. Present Subjunctive with Present Indicative. Often, the Subjonctif Présent is used alongside the present indicative to express a contrast between certainty and uncertainty. For example:
   – Il est sûr que tu viens. (It’s certain that you are coming.)
   – Il est possible que tu viennes. (It’s possible that you are coming.)

2. Past Subjunctive with Past Indicative. The Subjonctif Passé is used in conjunction with past indicative tenses to express doubt, uncertainty, or emotion about past actions or events.
   – J’étais triste qu’il soit parti. (I was sad that he had left.)

3. Future Subjunctive with Future Indicative. The Subjonctif Futur can be used with future indicative tenses to express doubt or uncertainty about future actions.
   – J’espère qu’il viendra. (I hope he will come.)

4. Conditional and Subjunctive. The Subjonctif Présent is often used with the conditional mood to express hypothetical or unreal situations.
   – Si j’avais de l’argent, je voyagerais. (If I had money, I would travel.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Présent is a mood used to convey uncertainty, doubt, emotions, and desires. It interacts with other tenses in French to create a wide range of nuanced expressions in both everyday conversation and more complex contexts.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb insinuer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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