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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débobiner

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The English translation of the French verb débobiner is “to unwind” or “to unravel.” The infinitive form of débobiner is pronounced as “deh-boh-bee-neh.”

Débobiner comes from the Latin word “de” meaning “out of” and “bobinare” meaning “to wind on a spool.” It is most often used in every day French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of débobiner in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je débobine le fil pour réparer la machine à coudre. (I had to unwind the thread to fix the sewing machine.)
  2. Elle souhaitait que nous débobinions les histoires de famille pour mieux comprendre nos racines. (She wished that we would unravel the family stories to better understand our roots.)
  3. Il fallait que tu débobines soigneusement la pelote de laine pour éviter qu’elle ne s’emmêle. (You had to carefully unwind the ball of wool to prevent it from tangling.)

In all of these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It adds a sense of doubt or possibility to the sentence.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je débobinasse Si j’avais le temps, je débobinasse toute la pellicule. If I had the time, I would rewind the entire film.
tu débobinasses Si tu savais comment faire, tu débobinasses plus vite. If you knew how to do it, you would rewind faster.
il débobinât Il serait content si il débobinât sans se tromper. He would be happy if he rewound without making mistakes.
elle débobinât Elle serait surprise si elle débobinât sans problème. She would be surprised if she rewound without any issues.
on débobinât Si on débobinât plus lentement, on n’abîmerait pas la cassette. If one rewound more slowly, one would not damage the tape.
nous débobinassions Si nous débobinassions ensemble, ça irait plus vite. If we rewound together, it would go faster.
vous débobinassiez Si vous débobinassiez avant de réenregistrer, vous ne perdriez pas les images. If you rewound before rerecording, you wouldn’t lose the images.
ils débobinassent S’ils débobinassent sans faire de pauses, ça serait plus efficace. If they rewound without taking breaks, it would be more efficient.
elles débobinassent Si elles débobinassent en même temps, elles confondraient les bandes. If they rewound at the same time, they would mix up the tapes.

Other Conjugations for Débobiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débobiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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