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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déborder

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The English translation of the French verb déborder is “to overflow” or “to spill over.” The infinitive form is pronounced “day-bor-day.”

Déborder comes from the Latin word “de-,” meaning “from” and “border,” meaning “edge” or “boundary.” In everyday French, déborder is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a possibility or uncertain action or state in the past.

  1. Il fallait que je déborde de joie en voyant son visage. (I had to overflow with joy when seeing his face.)
  2. Elle doutait toujours que la rivière débordât après les fortes pluies. (She always doubted that the river would overflow after heavy rains.)
  3. Nous souhaitions qu’il débordât de motivation pour réussir ses examens. (We hoped that he would overflow with motivation to pass his exams.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je débordasse Si j’étais plus créatif, je débordasse d’idées. If I were more creative, I would overflow with ideas.
tu débordasses Si tu te reposais plus, tu débordasses d’énergie. If you rested more, you would overflow with energy.
il débordât Il serait plus motivé s’il débordât de confiance. He would be more motivated if he overflowed with confidence.
elle débordât Elle serait plus organisée si elle débordât de temps. She would be more organized if she had more time.
on débordât Si on débordât de joie, ce serait une belle journée. If one were overflowing with joy, it would be a beautiful day.
nous débordassions Si nous débordassions de travail, nous serions fatigués. If we were overflowing with work, we would be tired.
vous débordassiez Si vous débordassiez de gentillesse, vous seriez aimables. If you were overflowing with kindness, you would be friendly.
ils débordassent S’ils débordassent de confiance, ils réussiraient. If they overflowed with confidence, they would succeed.
elles débordassent Si elles débordassent d’excitation, elles seraient impatientes. If they overflowed with excitement, they would be impatient.

Other Conjugations for Déborder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déborder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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