Jignorais

Jignorais is the first-person singular imperfect form of the French verb ignorer. It is written j'ignorais when followed by a vowel and translates roughly as “I did not know” or “I was unaware.” The form is used to describe a past state or realization that did not occur at a previous moment.

Grammatical notes: Ignorer is a regular -er verb. Its imperfect endings are -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. Therefore, the correct conjugation in the first person is j’ignorais. The verb can carry two related senses: not knowing a fact, or not paying attention to something (to ignore). In the imperfect, j’ignorais often signals an ongoing lack of knowledge at a past time, sometimes contrasted with later discovery or with other verbs such as savoir or comprendre.

Usage and nuance: J’ignorais is common in literary and formal writing, as well as in everyday speech when referring to information one did not have at that time. It can imply surprise or newly realized ignorance, e.g., J’ignorais ce détail. In everyday spoken French, many speakers might prefer je ne savais pas or je ne savais pas cela, depending on nuance and register. The phrase j’ignorais is also combined with clauses like J’ignorais que … meaning “I didn’t know that …” or “I wasn’t aware that ….”

Translations and related forms: The sense of j’ignorais aligns with “I didn’t know,” “I was unaware,” or “I didn’t realize,” depending on context. Related forms include ignor­er (to know or be aware) in other tenses, and the noun ignorance (ignorance) for broader discussions of lack of knowledge.