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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débouter

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The English translation of the French verb débouter is “to dismiss” or “to reject”. It is pronounced as “day-bu-tay” in the infinitive form.

The language origin of débouter can be traced back to the Latin word “debuttere” which means “to reject” or “to dismiss”. In everyday French, débouter is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of débouter used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, je l’aurais débouté de son poste. (If I had had more time, I would have dismissed him from his position.)
  2. Il aurait fallu que le juge déboute la plainte pour que l’affaire soit classée. (The judge would have had to dismiss the complaint for the case to be closed.)
  3. Nous souhaitions que le conseil déboute cette proposition afin de protéger nos intérêts. (We wanted the council to reject this proposal in order to protect our interests.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déboutasse Si j’étais le juge, je déboutasse l’accusé. If I were the judge, I would dismiss the defendant.
tu déboutasses Si tu étais plus équitable, tu déboutasses les innocents. If you were more fair, you would acquit the innocent.
il déboutât Il serait impartial s’il déboutât tout le monde. He would be impartial if he dismissed everyone.
elle déboutât Elle serait satisfaite si elle déboutât le coupable. She would be satisfied if she dismissed the guilty party.
on déboutât Si on déboutât les mauvais avocats, on aurait plus de justice. If one dismissed bad lawyers, there would be more justice.
nous déboutassions Si nous déboutassions les coupables, nous serions justes. If we dismissed the guilty, we would be fair.
vous déboutassiez Si vous déboutassiez tous les cas, vous auriez beaucoup de travail. If you dismissed all cases, you would have a lot of work.
ils déboutassent S’ils déboutassaient tous les accusés, ils auraient besoin de plus de juges. If they dismissed all the defendants, they would need more judges.
elles déboutassent Si elles déboutassaient les coupables, la société serait plus sûre. If they dismissed the guilty, society would be safer.

Other Conjugations for Débouter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débouter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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