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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déconcentrer

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The English translation of the French verb déconcentrer is “to distract or to disrupt”. The infinitive form of déconcentrer is pronounced as “dey-cohn-sahn-tray”.

Déconcentrer is derived from the prefix “dé-” meaning “undo” and the verb “concentrer” meaning “to concentrate”. 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 déconcentrer in the subjonctif imparfait tense with their English translations:

1) Il fallait que je déconcentrasse le chien pour qu’il arrête d’aboyer. (I had to distract the dog so that he would stop barking.)
2) Je souhaitais que tu déconcentrasses le bébé pour qu’il s’endorme. (I wished for you to distract the baby so that he would fall asleep.)
3) Nous préférions que vous déconcentrassiez le groupe pour qu’il ne s’aperçoive pas de notre arrivée. (We preferred for you to distract the group so that they wouldn’t notice our arrival.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déconcentras Il est important que je déconcentras It is important that I am not distracted
tu déconcentrasses Tu devrais étudier jusqu’à ce que tu déconcentrasses You should study until you are not distracted
il déconcentrât Il ne bougeât pas pour ne pas se déconcentrât He did not move to not get distracted
elle déconcentrât Elle écoutât attentivement pour ne pas se déconcentrât She listened carefully to not get distracted
on déconcentrât Il faut que on ne se déconcentrât pas pour réussir We must not get distracted to succeed
nous déconcentrassions Nous réussirions si nous ne nous déconcentrassions pas We would succeed if we did not get distracted
vous déconcentrassiez Vous étudieriez mieux si vous ne vous déconcentrassiez pas You would study better if you did not get distracted
ils déconcentrassent Il serait mieux si ils ne se déconcentrassent pas It would be better if they did not get distracted
elles déconcentrassent Les étudiants comprendraient si elles ne se déconcentrassent pas The students would understand if they did not get distracted

Other Conjugations for Déconcentrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déconcentrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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