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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déconseiller

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The English translation of the French verb déconseiller is “to advise against” or “to discourage.” It is pronounced as “day-kohn-say-yay” in its infinitive form.

Déconseiller comes from the French prefix “dé-“, which means “to undo,” and the verb “conseiller,” which means “to advise.” It is a regular -er verb and is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is commonly used after certain phrases such as “il est possible que” (it is possible that), “il me semble que” (it seems to me that), or “j’espère que” (I hope that).

Three simple examples of déconseiller in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their respective English translations are:

  1. Il fallait que je te déconseillasse de prendre ce chemin. (I had to advise you against taking this path.)

  2. J’aurais préféré que tu ne déconseillasses pas cette destination de voyage. (I would have preferred that you didn’t advise against this travel destination.)

  3. Il me semblait que tu nous déconseillasses cette option il y a quelques jours. (It seemed to me that you were advising us against this option a few days ago.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déconseillasse Je ne ferais pas ça si je me déconseillasse. I wouldn’t do that if I advised myself against it.
tu déconseillasses Tu te perdrais si tu te déconseillasses. You would lose yourself if you advised yourself against it.
il déconseillât Il serait malheureux si il se déconseillât. He would be unhappy if he advised himself against it.
elle déconseillât Elle serait déçue si elle se déconseillât. She would be disappointed if she advised herself against it.
on déconseillât Si on se déconseillât, il y aurait moins d’erreurs. If one advised oneself against it, there would be fewer mistakes.
nous déconseillassions Si nous nous déconseillassions, nous aurions des problèmes. If we advised ourselves against it, we would have problems.
vous déconseillassiez Si vous vous déconseillassiez, vous regretteriez. If you advised yourself against it, you would regret it.
ils déconseillassent S’ils se déconseillassent, ça serait dangereux. If they advised themselves against it, it would be dangerous.
elles déconseillassent Si elles se déconseillassent, elles perdraient. If they advised themselves against it, they would lose.

Other Conjugations for Déconseiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déconseiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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