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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débourrer

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The English translation of the French verb débourrer is “to break in” or “to train”. It is pronounced “day-boo-ray”.

Débourrer comes from the Old French word “desbourrer”, which means “to clear out” or “to clean”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que je le débourre avant de pouvoir le monter. (I had to break him in before I could ride him.)
  2. Elle souhaitait que son cheval se débourre rapidement. (She hoped her horse would get trained quickly.)
  3. Nous voulions que le chien se débourre avant d’arriver chez nos amis. (We wanted the dog to get trained before arriving at our friends’ house.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je débourrasse Si j’étais riche, je débourrasse des chevaux. If I were rich, I would de-spur horses.
tu débourrasses Si tu apprenais à débourrer, tu débourrasses plus facilement. If you learned how to de-spur, you would de-spur more easily.
il débourrât Il serait surpris si il débourrât son premier cheval. He would be surprised if he de-spurred his first horse.
elle débourrât Elle serait fière si elle débourrât son cheval seule. She would be proud if she de-spurred her horse alone.
on débourrât Si on débourrât tous les chevaux ensemble, ça serait plus rapide. If one de-spurred all the horses together, it would be faster.
nous débourrassions Si nous débourrassions tous les chevaux, nous serions des experts. If we de-spurred all the horses, we would be experts.
vous débourrassiez Si vous débourrassiez plus souvent, vous seriez plus habiles. If you de-spurred more often, you would be more skilled.
ils débourrassent S’ils débourrassent tous les jours, ils auraient une meilleure relation avec les chevaux. If they de-spurred every day, they would have a better relationship with horses.
elles débourrassent Si elles débourrassent ensemble, ça serait un bon entraînement. If they de-spurred together, it would be good training.

Other Conjugations for Débourrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débourrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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