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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déballer

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The English translation of the French verb déballer is “to unpack.” It is pronounced “deh-ba-lay.”

Déballer comes from the Old French word “desbaler,” meaning “to unroll” or “to unpack.” It is most often used in everyday French as a regular -er verb in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Je déballais mes affaires comme si j’étais chez moi. (I was unpacking my things as if I were at home.)

  2. Si tu déballais tes cadeaux maintenant, tu serais déçu. (If you were to unpack your gifts now, you would be disappointed.)

  3. Elle souhaitait que nous déballions les cartons ensemble. (She wished that we would unpack the boxes together.)

  4. I was unpacking my things as if I were at home.

  5. If you were to unpack your gifts now, you would be disappointed.

  6. She wished that we would unpack the boxes together.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déballasse Si j’étais plus organisé, je déballasse mes affaires plus vite. If I were more organized, I would unpack my things faster.
tu déballasses Si tu étais plus patient, tu déballasses avec plus de soin. If you were more patient, you would unpack more carefully.
il déballât Il serait plus heureux si il déballât ses cadeaux plus tôt. He would be happier if he opened his presents earlier.
elle déballât Elle serait ravie si elle déballât ses souvenirs avant. She would be delighted if she unpacked her memories beforehand.
on déballât Si on déballât ensemble, ça serait plus rapide. If one unpacked together, it would be faster.
nous déballassions Si nous déballassions tout de suite, nous n’oublierions rien. If we unpacked right away, we wouldn’t forget anything.
vous déballassiez Si vous déballassiez en silence, ça serait plus calme. If you unpacked quietly, it would be more peaceful.
ils déballassent S’ils déballassent trop vite, ils risqueraient de casser quelque chose. If they unpacked too quickly, they might break something.
elles déballassent Si elles déballassent ensemble, ça serait plus efficace. If they unpacked together, it would be more efficient.

Other Conjugations for Déballer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déballer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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