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Imperfect Subjunctive - Imparfait du subjonctif

How to conjugate the imperfect subjunctive

By , About.com Guide

French imperfect subjunctive conjugations are based on the passé simple.

1) For all -ER verbs, including stem-changing verbs and the normally irregular verb aller, take the third person singular form of the passé simple as the stem and add the imperfect subjunctive endings. Note that spelling-change verbs like manger and lancer have their spelling irregularity in all of these conjugations.

2) For -IR verbs, -RE verbs, and irregular verbs, the imperfect subjunctive is formed as follows: third person singular form of the passé simple minus the final t, plus the imperfect subjunctive endings.

Here are the imperfect subjunctive endings and conjugations for the -ER verbs parler (to speak), manger (to eat), lancer (to throw), and aller (to go), the regular -IR and -RE verbs finir (to finish) and rendre (to return), and the irregular verbs avoir (to have) and venir (to come):

French imperfect subjunctive conjugations

  parler manger lancer aller
3rd person singular passé simple   il parla il mangea il lança il alla
Imperfect subjunctive stem parla- mangea- lança- alla-
  PronounEnding
  ...que je -sse parlasse mangeasse lançasse allasse
  ...que tu -sses parlasses mangeasses lançasses allasses
  ...qu'il -^t parlât mangeât   lançât allât
  ...que nous -ssions parlassions   mangeassions   lançassions   allassions
  ...que vous -ssiez parlassiez mangeassiez lançassiez allassiez
  ...qu'ils -ssent parlassent mangeassent lançassent allassent
 
  finir rendre avoir venir
3rd person singular passé simple il finit il rendit il eut il vint
Imperfect subjunctive stem fini- rendi- eu- vin-
  PronounEnding
  ...que je -sse finisse rendisse eusse vinsse
  ...que tu -sses finisses rendisses eusses vinsses
  ...qu'il -^t finît rendît eût vînt
  ...que nous -ssions finissions rendissions eussions vinssions
  ...que vous -ssiez finissiez rendissiez eussiez vinssiez
  ...qu'ils -ssent finissent rendissent eussent vinssent

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