Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb damer

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The English translation of the French verb damer is “to play coy” or “to flirt.” It is pronounced as [da.me] in its infinitive form.

The verb damer is derived from the Old French word “dame,” meaning “lady.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je damer pour qu’il ne remarque pas mon erreur. (I had to play coy so that he wouldn’t notice my mistake.)
  2. Si tu m’avais vu damer hier, tu aurais ri. (If you had seen me flirting yesterday, you would have laughed.)
  3. Elle aurait dû damer même si elle n’était pas intéressée. (She should have played coy even if she wasn’t interested.)

English translations:

  1. I had to play coy so that he wouldn’t notice my mistake.
  2. If you had seen me flirting yesterday, you would have laughed.
  3. She should have played coy even if she wasn’t interested.

Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of damer

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je damasse Si j’étais à ta place, je damasse tous les jours. If I were in your place, I would skate every day.
tu damasses Si tu n’aimais pas le hockey, tu damasses quand même? If you didn’t like hockey, would you still skate?
il damât Il serait content si il damât mieux que son frère. He would be happy if he skated better than his brother.
elle damât Elle serait fatiguée si elle damât toute la journée. She would be tired if she skated all day.
on damât Si on damât sur la glace, c’était un vrai plaisir. If one skated on the ice, it was a real pleasure.
nous damassions Si nous damassions à haute vitesse, ça serait risqué. If we skated at high speed, it would be risky.
vous damassiez Si vous damassiez plus souvent, vous seriez très bons. If you skated more often, you would be very good.
ils damassent Si ils damassent au-delà de leurs limites, ils se blesseraient. If they skated beyond their limits, they would get injured.
elles damassent Si elles damassent ensemble, ça serait magnifique. If they skated together, it would be beautiful.

Other Conjugations for Damer.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb damer
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damer
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damer
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damer
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damer
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damer
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damer
   

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damer

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damer

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damer

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damer
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damer (this article)

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damer
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damer
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damer

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damer

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damer

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Damer – About the French Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Imparfait, also known as the imperfect subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions, states, or conditions that are uncertain, subjective, or hypothetical in the past. It is used in a variety of situations, including wishes, doubts, emotions, and polite requests, and often occurs in dependent clauses following certain expressions and conjunctions.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Imparfait, you typically start with the third person plural (ils/elles) form of the verb in the imparfait (imperfect) tense. Then, you remove the -ent ending and add the appropriate endings:

– For regular -er verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.
– For regular -ir and -re verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

1. Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty: The Subjonctif Imparfait is used to express doubt or uncertainty about something that happened in the past.

Example: Il doutait qu’elle vînt à la fête. (He doubted that she came to the party.)

2. Wishes and Desires: It is used to express wishes or desires in the past.

Example: J’aurais aimé que tu fusses là. (I would have liked you to be there.)

3. Hypothetical Scenarios: The Subjonctif Imparfait is employed in hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: Si j’eusse su, j’aurais agi différemment. (If I had known, I would have acted differently.)
4. Polite Requests and Suggestions: It is used to make polite requests and suggestions in a formal or polite tone.

Example: Il souhaitait que vous vinssiez lui rendre visite. (He wished that you would come to visit him.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Subjonctif Présent

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used in dependent clauses with the Subjonctif Présent in the main clause, especially in complex sentences.

Example: Il faut que tu manges bien pour que tu aies de l’énergie. (You need to eat well so that you have energy.)

Indicatif Passé Composé

The Subjonctif Imparfait can be used alongside the Indicatif Passé Composé to indicate a contrast between a factual event and a hypothetical one.

Example: Il est parti avant que tu ne fusses arrivé. (He left before you arrived.)

Conditional

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used with the Conditional to express unreal or hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: J’aurais pu le faire si j’eusse eu plus de temps. (I could have done it if I had had more time.)

Conditional Perfect

It can also be used with the Conditional Perfect to express unreal or hypothetical past events that would have occurred before other past events.

Example: J’aurais su s’il eût partagé l’information. (I would have known if he had shared the information.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Imparfait is a relatively complex tense, and its usage depends on the context and the verbs involved. It is essential to practice and become familiar with common expressions and contexts where this tense is appropriate to use it effectively in everyday French communication.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb damer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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