Imperfect subjunctive (recognition)
The subjonctif imparfait survives only in classic literature and very formal writing. Today it is replaced by the present or past subjunctive. Learn to recognise it, especially the 3rd person singular.
| verb | qu’il / qu’elle | modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| être | qu’il fût | qu’il soit |
| avoir | qu’il eût | qu’il ait |
| parler | qu’il parlât | qu’il parle |
| finir | qu’il finît | qu’il finisse |
| faire | qu’il fît | qu’il fasse |
| venir | qu’il vînt | qu’il vienne |
How to spot it
- Built on the passé simple: il parla → qu’il parlât, il fit → qu’il fît.
- 3rd person singular: a circumflex and a final -t: fût, eût, parlât.
- Other persons end in -sse: que je parlasse, qu’ils fissent.
- fût / eût (subjunctive) vs fut / eut (passé simple): only the accent differs.
Examples
- Il fallait qu’il partît avant l’aube.He had to leave before dawn.
- Bien qu’elle fût fatiguée, elle continua.Although she was tired, she carried on.
- Je voulais qu’il vînt.I wanted him to come.
- Quoiqu’il eût raison, personne ne l’écouta.Although he was right, nobody listened to him.
- Il fallait qu’elle vînt.She had to come.
Common mistakes
- ✗ Il fallait qu’il partit avant midi.✓ Il fallait qu’il partît avant midi.The imperfect subjunctive has a circumflex, which separates it from the passé simple, and English has no equivalent form.
- ✗ Bien qu’il fut malade, il continua.✓ Bien qu’il fût malade, il continua.The subjunctive of être in the third person is fût with a circumflex, a form English no longer has.
- ✗ Quoiqu’elle eut tort, personne ne la corrigea.✓ Quoiqu’elle eût tort, personne ne la corrigea.Eût is the subjunctive of avoir, whereas eut is the passé simple.
- ✗ Il voulait qu’il finissat.✓ Il voulait qu’il finît.The imperfect subjunctive of finir is finît, with -ît and not -at.
- ✗ Je souhaitais qu’il vint.✓ Je souhaitais qu’il vînt.The imperfect subjunctive of venir takes a circumflex, vînt.