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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déboiser

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The English translation of the French verb déboiser is “to clear/cut down (trees/forests)”. The infinitive form, déboiser, is pronounced as “day-bwah-zay”.

Déboiser comes from the French word “bois” which means “wood”. It is a combination of the prefix “de-” which indicates removal and the verb “boiser” which means “to wood”. Therefore, déboiser literally means “to remove wood” or “to clear (an area) of trees”.

In everyday French, déboiser is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is formed by adding the appropriate conjugation of the auxiliary verb “avoir” to the past participle of déboiser, which is “déboisé”.

Here are three examples of déboiser in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que nous déboisions cette forêt pour construire la nouvelle autoroute.
    (It was necessary that we clear this forest to build the new highway.)

  2. J’aimerais que tu ne déboises pas trop d’arbres pour ton projet de construction.
    (I would like you to not cut down too many trees for your construction project.)

  3. Nous aurions aimé que vous déboisiez cette zone avant l’arrivée des touristes.
    (We would have liked for you to clear this area before the arrival of tourists.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déboisasse Si je déboisasse moins, moins d’arbres seraient coupés. If I cut down less, less trees would be cut down.
tu déboisasses Tu serais content si tu déboisasses plus d’arbres. You would be happy if you cut down more trees.
il déboisât Il serait surpris si il déboisât le parc entier. He would be surprised if he cut down the whole park.
elle déboisât Elle serait contente si elle déboisât avec moi. She would be happy if she cut down trees with me.
on déboisât Si on déboisât la forêt, les animaux seraient en danger. If one cut down the forest, the animals would be in danger.
nous déboisassions Si nous déboisassions ensemble, nous serions plus efficaces. If we cut down together, we would be more efficient.
vous déboisassiez Si vous déboisassiez plus, vous auriez plus de bois. If you cut down more, you would have more wood.
ils déboisassent S’ils déboisassent plus lentement, ils causeraient moins de dégâts. If they cut down more slowly, they would cause less damage.
elles déboisassent Si elles déboisassent la rivière, il n’y aurait plus d’ombre. If they cut down the river, there would be no more shade.

Other Conjugations for Déboiser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déboiser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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