Introduction to the imparfait du subjonctif (imperfect subjunctive) in French
The imperfect subjunctive, or in French l’imparfait du subjonctif, is a verb mood used to express uncertainty, desire and wishes in the past. It that combines a verb form and a mood that you probably already know: the imperfect and the subjunctive. You have to concentrate for a bit to understand what this means.
So the subjunctive, as you may know, is used to express hypothetical or uncertain actions, wishes, desires, or possibilities. The imperfect is used to express ongoing or repeated actions, habitual actions, and states of being in the past. Combine these, and you get actions and things in the past that are ongoing, and you have some uncertainty about. Examples are best to learn this:
- Je voulais que tu fasses tes devoirs avant de sortir
- I wanted you to do your homework before going out
This sentence expresses desire, as indicated by the verb voilais (to want). Que tu fasses is in the imperfect subjunctive here. More examples:
- Il était content que tu vinsses à sa fête
- He was happy that you came to his party
- Elle préférait que je finisse mes devoirs avant de regarder la télé
- She preferred that I finish my homework before watching TV
- Il fallait qu’ils fussent prêts à temps
- It was necessary for them to be ready on time
To be clear, the imperfect subjunctive is used less in daily live in favor of the past subjunctive which also deals with the subjunctive mood in the past.
When to use the imperfect subjunctive in French
Here are instances where the imperfect subjunctive is used in French:
- Wishes and desires in the past: To express a wish or desire in the past.
- Je voulais qu’il viennent avec nous
- I wanted him to come with us
- Hypothetical clauses in the past: To express a hypothetical condition in the past.
- Si j’étais riche, j’achèterais une maison
- If I were rich, I would buy a house
- Impersonal or impersonal expressions with il: To express necessity, doubt, fear, wish,
- Il fallait qu’ils partissent avant la tombée de la nuit
- They had to leave before nightfall
- Expressions followed by que: In clauses introduced by que after verbs or expressions that express a will, desire, wish, order, suggestion.
- Elle préférait que vous veniez avec nous
- She preferred that you come with us
- Expressions after certain time conjunctions: In phrases introduced by time conjunctions such as avant que, jusqu’à ce que”, “sans que”.
- J’ai attendu jusqu’à ce qu’ils arrivent
- I waited until they arrived
It is formed by taking the imperfect stem of the verb, adding specific endings, and sometimes modifying the stem for certain irregular verbs.
Forming the imparfait du subjonctif (imperfect subjunctive)
So with the imperfect subjunctive, -er verbs have their own conjugation while -ir verbs and -re verbs share a similar conjugation. The conjugation is rather simple, you remove the last two characters from the verb and add the appropriate ending. Manger (to eat) is an exception to this rule.
Imperfect subjunctive conjugation of French -er Verbs
| Pronouns | Endings | Parler (To speak) | Manger (To eat) | Aimer (To love) |
| Je | -asse | parlasse | mangeasse | aimasse |
| Tu | -asses | parlasses | mangeasses | aimasses |
| Il/Elle/On | -ât | parlât | mangeât | aimât |
| Nous | -assions | parlassions | mangeassions | aimassions |
| Vous | -assiez | parlassiez | mangeassiez | aimassiez |
| Ils/Elles | -assent | parlassent | mangeassent | aimassent |
Imperfect subjunctive conjugation of French -ir and -re verbs
So -ir and -re verbs conjugate similarly with the imperfect subjunctive
| Pronouns | Endings | Finir (To finish) | Répondre (To answer) | Vendre (To buy) |
| Je | -isse | finisse | répondisse | vendisse |
| Tu | -isses | finisses | répondisses | vendisses |
| Il/Elle/On | -ît | finît | répondît | vendît |
| Nous | -issions | finissions | répondissions | vendissions |
| Vous | -issiez | finissiez | répondissiez | vendissiez |
| Ils/Elles | -issent | finissent | répondissent | vendissent |
Imperfect subjunctive conjugation of irregular French verbs
| Pronouns | Être | Avoir | Faire | Aller |
| Je | eusse | eusse | fisse | allasse |
| Tu | fusses | eusses | fisses | allasses |
| Il/Elle/On | fût | eût | fît | allât |
| Nous | fussions | eussions | fissions | allassions |
| Vous | fussiez | eussiez | fissiez | allassiez |
| Ils/Elles | fussent | eussent | fissent | allassent |
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