French conjugation explanation

The double 'i' in Imparfait and Subjunctive

<p>For verbs whose stem ends in the letter <strong>i</strong>, the <span style="font-style: italic;">nous</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">vous</span> forms of the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/26/" target="_blank">Imperfect</a>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/29/" target="_blank">Present Subjunctive</a>

<p>This pattern affects both regular verbs ending in <span style="font-style: italic;">-ier</span> and irregular verbs with stems ending in <span style="font-style: italic;">i</span>.</p>

<ul>

<li>Regular <span style="font-style: italic;">-ier</span> verbs:

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/%C3%A9tudier/" title="Click to see conjugations for étudier" target="_blank">étudier</a>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/crier/" title="Click to see conjugations for crier" target="_blank">crier</a>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/oublier/" title="Click to see conjugations for oublier" target="_blank">oublier</a>

<li>Irregular verbs:

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/rire/" title="Click to see conjugations for rire" target="_blank">rire</a>

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/sourire/" title="Click to see conjugations for sourire" target="_blank">sourire</a>

</ul>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Why does this happen?</div>

<p>The double <span style="font-style: italic;">i</span> is not an exception or a typo. It is the strict application of the standard conjugation rules:</p>

<ol>

<li>The <strong>stem</strong> ends in <span style="font-style: italic;">i</span> (e.g., <span style="font-style: italic;">étudi-</span>).</li>

<li>The <strong>ending</strong> begins with <span style="font-style: italic;">i</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">-ions</span> for <span style="font-style: italic;">nous</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">-iez</span> for <span style="font-style: italic;">vous</span>).</li>

</ol>

<p>When these are combined, both letters are kept:</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"> <span style="font-style: italic;">étudi</span> + <span style="font-style: italic;">ions</span> &#8594; <span class="green_emphasis">étudiions</span> </div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Comparison with Present Indicative</div>

<p>Learners often confuse the Imperfect forms with the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/25/" target="_blank">Present Indicative</a>

<ul>

<li>

<div><strong>Present Indicative (one i):</strong></div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"> Aujourd'hui, nous <span class="brown_emphasis">étudions</span> la grammaire. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Today, we are studying grammar.</span>) </div>

</li>

<li>

<div><strong>Imperfect (double i):</strong></div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"> Hier, nous <span class="green_emphasis">étudiions</span> quand tu es arrivé. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Yesterday, we were studying when you arrived.</span>) </div>

</li>

</ul>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">The Present Subjunctive</div>

<p>The same logic applies to the <span style="font-style: italic;">nous</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">vous</span> forms of the Present Subjunctive, which also use the endings <span style="font-style: italic;">-ions</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">-iez</span>.</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"> Il faut que nous <span class="green_emphasis">criions</span> plus fort. (<span style="font-style: italic;">We must shout louder.</span>) </div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence"> Je doute que vous <span class="green_emphasis">riiez</span> de la situation. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I doubt that you are laughing about the situation.</span>) </div>

<p><strong>Pronunciation:</strong> The double <span style="font-style: italic;">i</span> results in a lengthened sound or a glide, effectively pronouncing the <span style="font-style: italic;">i</span> of the stem followed by the semi-vowel sound of the ending (e.g., <span style="font-style: italic; white-space: nowrap;">/Ri.jɔ̃/</span> for <span style="font-style: italic;">riions</span>).</p>

<p>In the conjugation tables below for the verb

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/fra/%C3%A9tudier/" title="Click to see conjugations for étudier" target="_blank">étudier</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/25/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Présent</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun"><span>j'</span></span>étudie

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

tu

</span>étudies

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

il

</span>étudie

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

nous

</span>étudions

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

vous

</span>étudiez

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

ils

</span>étudient

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/26/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imparfait</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun"><span>j'</span></span>étudiais

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

tu

</span>étudiais

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

il

</span>étudiait

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

nous

</span>étudiions

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

vous

</span>étudiiez

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

ils

</span>étudiaient

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/29/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Présent du subjonctif</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun"><span>que j'</span></span>étudie

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

que tu

</span>étudies

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

qu&#x27;il

</span>étudie

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

que nous

</span>étudiions

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

que vous

</span>étudiiez

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

qu&#x27;ils

</span>étudient

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>