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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dater

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The English translation of the French verb dater is “to date.” The infinitive form of dater is pronounced as “da-teh” with the “e” at the end being silent.

The word dater comes from the French verb “date,” which means “to give a date to” and originated from the Latin word “data,” meaning “given.” It is most often used in everyday French to indicate the time or day that something happened or was written. In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, it is used to express a past event that is uncertain or hypothetical.

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que je te dise la vérité, même si cela datait de plusieurs années. (I had to tell you the truth, even if it dated back to several years ago.)

  2. Je voulais qu’elle me pardonne, mais je savais que cela ne daterait pas d’hier. (I wanted her to forgive me, but I knew it wouldn’t date from yesterday.)

  3. Il était important que je trouve le courage de lui dire la vérité, même si cela remontait à mon enfance. (It was important that I found the courage to tell him the truth, even if it dated back to my childhood.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je datasse Si j’avais une maison, je datasse les clés. If I had a house, I would date the keys.
tu datasses Si tu voyages, tu datasses tes souvenirs. If you travel, you would date your memories.
il datât Si il était à l’époque, il datât ses lettres. If he were in the past, he would date his letters.
elle datât Si elle visitait souvent, elle datât ses photos. If she visited often, she would date her photos.
on datât Si on habitait ensemble, on datât nos anniversaires. If we lived together, we would date our anniversaries.
nous datassions Si nous travaillions ensemble, nous datassions chaque document. If we worked together, we would date each document.
vous datassiez Si vous appreniez le français, vous datassiez vos progrès. If you learned French, you would date your progress.
ils datassent Si ils voyagaient plus, ils datassent leurs expériences. If they traveled more, they would date their experiences.
elles datassent Si elles écrivaient un journal, elles datassent chaque entrée. If they wrote a journal, they would date each entry.

Other Conjugations for Dater.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dater
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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