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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb damner

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The English translation of the French verb damner is “to damn” or “to condemn.” It is pronounced “dahm-nay” in the infinitive form.

The word “damner” comes from the Latin word “damnare” which means “to condemn,” and it entered the French language in the 12th century. In every day French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain situation in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je le damne pour son comportement irresponsable. (It was necessary for me to damn him for his irresponsible behavior.)
  2. Elle regrettait qu’il la damne sans raison valable. (She regretted that he damned her without a valid reason.)
  3. Ils avaient peur que leurs parents les damnaient pour avoir manqué l’école. (They were afraid that their parents would damn them for skipping school.)

In all of these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to convey a sense of uncertainty or doubt about the action of damning. In English, the verb “to damn” is often used in a religious context to mean “to condemn to eternal punishment,” but in French, it can also be used in a more general sense to mean to strongly criticize or censure someone.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je damnasse Si je le pouvais, je damnasse mes ennemis. If I could, I would damn my enemies.
tu damnasses Si tu me croyais, tu me damnasses. If you believed me, you would damn me.
il damnât Il serait puni s’il damnât ses actions. He would be punished if he damned his actions.
elle damnât Si elle savait la vérité, elle ne damnât pas sa soeur. If she knew the truth, she wouldn’t damn her sister.
on damnât Si on le faisait, on damnât notre âme. If one did it, one would damn our soul.
nous damnassions Si nous pardonnions, nous ne damnassions pas. If we forgave, we wouldn’t damn.
vous damnassiez Si vous osiez, vous damnassiez tout le monde. If you dared, you would damn everyone.
ils damnassent S’ils n’avaient pas peur, ils damnassent leur vie. If they weren’t afraid, they would damn their life.
elles damnassent Si elles s’en rendaient compte, elles damnassent leur avenir. If they realized it, they would damn their future.

Other Conjugations for Damner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Damner – 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 damner. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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