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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déclencher

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The English translation of déclencher is “to trigger” or “to set off”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-clahn-shay”.

Déclencher comes from the French word “clencher” meaning “to clench” and the prefix “dé-” which intensifies the action. 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.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais déclenché l’alarme, nous n’aurions pas été cambriolés. (If I had triggered the alarm, we wouldn’t have been burgled.)
  2. Il fallait que tu déclenches le processus dès que possible. (You needed to trigger the process as soon as possible.)
  3. Elle voulait que nous déclenchions une enquête sur cette affaire. (She wanted us to trigger an investigation on this matter.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déclenchasse Je pensais que je déclenchasse la colère de mes parents. I thought I was triggering my parents’ anger.
tu déclenchesse J’aurais peur que tu déclenchesse un incendie. I would be afraid that you would start a fire.
il déclenchât Il fallait qu’il déclenchât l’alarme avant de partir. He had to activate the alarm before leaving.
elle déclenchât Elle voudrait que je déclenchât le feu d’artifice. She would like me to set off the fireworks.
on déclenchât Il est important qu’on déclenchât l’évacuation en cas d’urgence. It is important to trigger an evacuation in case of an emergency.
nous déclenchassions Nous avions peur que nous déclenchassions une guerre. We were afraid that we would start a war.
vous déclenchassiez Vous pensiez qu’il faudrait que vous déclenchassiez une enquête. You thought that an investigation should be triggered.
ils déclenchaissent Ils étaient contents que nous ne déclenchaissent pas l’alarme. They were happy that we didn’t activate the alarm.
elles déclenchaissent Il est possible qu’elles déclenchaissent une révolution. It is possible that they would trigger a revolution.

Other Conjugations for Déclencher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déclencher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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