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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débrocher

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The English translation of the French verb débrocher is “to unhook” or “to disconnect.” It is pronounced as “day-broh-shay” in its infinitive form.

Débrocher comes from the French word “broche,” meaning “pin” or “peg,” and the prefix “dé,” indicating a reversal or undoing. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a past tense used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action.

Example 1:
“Je craignais qu’elle ne me débrochât la ligne téléphonique.”
Translation: “I was afraid she would disconnect the phone line.”

Example 2:
“Il fallait que nous débrochions les câbles avant de partir.”
Translation: “We had to unhook the cables before leaving.”

Example 3:
“Je préférais qu’ils ne débrochassent pas les ordinateurs sans autorisation.”
Translation: “I preferred that they didn’t disconnect the computers without permission.”

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je débrochasse Si je n’étais pas malade, je débrochasse toute la soirée. If I weren’t sick, I would dance all evening.
tu débrochasses Si tu arrêtais de travailler, tu débrochasses avec moi. If you stopped working, you would dance with me.
il débrochât S’il était plus souple, il débrochât plus facilement. If he were more flexible, he would dance more easily.
elle débrochât Si elle avait des cours de danse, elle débrochât mieux. If she took dance lessons, she would dance better.
on débrochât Si on trouvait un partenaire, on débrochât plus ensemble. If one found a partner, one would dance more together.
nous débrochassions Si nous avions plus de temps, nous débrochassions plus souvent. If we had more time, we would dance more often.
vous débrochassiez Si vous osiez, vous débrochassiez sans problème. If you dared, you would dance without any problem.
ils débrochassent S’ils se relâchaient, ils débrochassent avec plus d’énergie. If they let loose, they would dance with more energy.
elles débrochassent Si elles s’entraînaient plus, elles débrochassent plus gracieusement. If they trained more, they would dance more gracefully.

Other Conjugations for Débrocher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrocher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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