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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débâillonner

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The English translation of the French verb débâillonner is “to remove the gag.” It is pronounced as [deh-bah-yoh-nay].

Débâillonner comes from the French word “bâillonner,” which means “to gag” or “to silence.” The prefix “dé-” adds the meaning of “removing” or “undoing.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples of débâillonner in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Si j’avais su que tu étais retenu prisonnier, j’aurais débâillonné ta bouche pour que tu puisses crier à l’aide. (If I had known you were being held prisoner, I would have removed your gag so you could cry for help.)

  2. Il fallait que je débâillonne cette personne pour qu’elle puisse témoigner contre son agresseur. (I had to remove this person’s gag so they could testify against their attacker.)

  3. Il était important que nous débâillonnions les otages avant que les négociations commencent. (It was important for us to remove the hostages’ gags before the negotiations began.)

English translations:

  1. If I had known that you were being held prisoner, I would have removed your gag so that you could cry for help.

  2. I had to remove this person’s gag so that they could testify against their attacker.

  3. It was important for us to remove the hostages’ gags before the negotiations began.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je débâillonnasse Il serait étrange que je me débâillonnasse. It would be strange if I ungagged myself.
tu débâillonnasses Il serait étrange que tu te débâillonnasses. It would be strange if you ungagged yourself.
il débâillonnât Il serait étrange que tu te débâillonnât. It would be strange if he ungagged himself.
elle débâillonnât Il serait étrange que tu te débâillonnât. It would be strange if she ungagged herself.
on débâillonnât Il serait étrange que tu te débâillonnât. It would be strange if one ungagged oneself.
nous débâillonnassions Il serait étrange que nous nous débâillonnassions. It would be strange if we ungagged ourselves.
vous débâillonnassiez Il serait étrange que vous vous débâillonnassiez. It would be strange if you ungagged yourselves.
ils débâillonnassent Il serait étrange que ils se débâillonnassent. It would be strange if they ungagged themselves.
elles débâillonnassent Il serait étrange que elles se débâillonnassent. It would be strange if they ungagged themselves.

Other Conjugations for Débâillonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâillonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Débâillonner – 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.

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