comme si + Imperfect / Pluperfect

As if with Comme Si

Level 3

The structure comme si (as if / as though) is used to compare a real situation to an imaginary one. In French, it is strictly followed by the imparfait (for present unreality) or the plus-que-parfait (for past unreality).

How It Works

The conjunction comme si introduces a subordinate clause that describes a state or action that is not actually true.

1. Tense Selection:

  • Use the imparfait when the imaginary action is happening at the same time as the main verb: Il parle comme s'il savait tout (He speaks as if he knew everything—but he doesn't).
  • Use the plus-que-parfait when the imaginary action happened before the main verb: Elle pleure comme si elle avait perdu son chien (She is crying as if she had lost her dog—but she hasn't).

2. Spelling and Elision:
The word si only undergoes elision before the pronouns il or ils.

  • comme s'il... (Correct)
  • comme s'ils... (Correct)
  • comme si elle... (Correct - no elision before 'elle')

3. Mood:
Even though the situation is hypothetical, you must use the indicative mood (imparfait/PQP), not the conditional or the subjunctive. While the literary pluperfect subjunctive exists in very formal writing, it is not used in standard modern French.

Examples (5)

  1. Elle me regarde comme si j'étais un étranger.

    She looks at me as if I were a stranger.

    Word by Word: She me looks like if I was a stranger.

    The imparfait 'étais' is used because the state of being a stranger is simultaneous with the looking.

  2. Tu agis comme si rien ne s'était passé.

    You are acting as if nothing had happened.

    Word by Word: You act like if nothing [negation] itself was happened.

    The plus-que-parfait 's'était passé' is used because the 'happening' would have occurred before the current 'acting'.

  3. Il dépense de l'argent comme s'il était riche.

    He spends money as if he were rich.

    Word by Word: He spends of the money like if he was rich.

    Note the elision of 'si' to 's'' before 'il'.

  4. Elle chante comme si elle était une star d'opéra.

    She sings as if she were an opera star.

    Word by Word: She sings like if she was a star of opera.

    Note that 'si' does NOT elide before 'elle'.

  5. Ils nous ont accueillis comme si nous étions de la famille.

    They welcomed us as if we were family.

    Word by Word: They us have welcomed like if we were of the family.

    Even though the main verb is in the past (ont accueillis), we still use the imparfait for a simultaneous hypothetical state.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the conditional mood after 'comme si'.

    Il fait comme s'il serait fatigué.
    Il fait comme s'il était fatigué.

    Learners often translate the English 'would be' directly. In French, 'comme si' must be followed by the imparfait, not the conditionnel.

  • Eliding 'si' before 'elle' or 'on'.

    Elle sourit comme s'elle était contente.
    Elle sourit comme si elle était contente.

    In French, 'si' only elides before 'il' and 'ils'. It remains 'si' before 'elle', 'on', or any other vowel.

  • Using the present tense for 'real' sounding hypotheticals.

    Il parle comme s'il sait tout.
    Il parle comme s'il savait tout.

    Even if the speaker thinks the person might actually know everything, 'comme si' grammatically triggers the imparfait to mark the comparison.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

comme si + Imperfect / PluperfectLevel 3As if with Comme Si

Learn This First

To use 'comme si' correctly, you must first be able to conjugate verbs in the imparfait and plus-que-parfait tenses, as these are the only tenses used after this conjunction to express hypothetical situations. Additionally, understanding elision is necessary for the common contraction 's'il'.

Words in This Pattern

comme si