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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dédier

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The English translation of the French verb dédier is “to dedicate.” The infinitive form is pronounced “day-dee-ay.”

The word dédier comes from the Latin verb dedicare, meaning “to declare, dedicate, consecrate.” It entered the French language in the 13th century and has been used in both literal and figurative senses.

In everyday French, dédier is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a wish, desire, or possibility in the past. It is often translated as “would have (done something)” in English.

Example 1:
Je souhaitais que tu dédies ce livre à ta mère.
(I wished that you would dedicate this book to your mother.)

Example 2:
Elle aurait dédié sa vie à la protection de l’environnement si elle avait eu l’opportunité.
(She would have dedicated her life to protecting the environment if she had had the opportunity.)

Example 3:
Nous aurions dédié cette chanson à notre grand-père s’il était encore en vie.
(We would have dedicated this song to our grandfather if he were still alive.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dédiasse Je serais content si je dédiasse plus de temps à la lecture. I would be happy if I dedicated more time to reading.
tu dédiasses Si tu voyages plus, tu dédiasses tes photos à ta famille. If you travel more, you would dedicate your photos to your family.
il dédiât Il serait fier s’il dédiât son livre à son père. He would be proud if he dedicated his book to his father.
elle dédiât Elle serait touchée si elle dédiât sa chanson à sa mère. She would be moved if she dedicated her song to her mother.
on dédiât Si on dédiât plus de temps à la famille, on serait plus heureux. If one dedicated more time to family, one would be happier.
nous dédiassions Si nous dédiassions notre vie à la lutte contre le changement climatique, nous sauverions la planète. If we dedicated our lives to fighting climate change, we would save the planet.
vous dédiassiez Si vous dédiassiez vos compétences à une cause juste, vous changeriez le monde. If you dedicated your skills to a just cause, you would change the world.
ils dédiassent S’ils dédiassent plus d’argent à la recherche médicale, ils trouveraient un remède. If they dedicated more money to medical research, they would find a cure.
elles dédiassent Si elles dédiassent leur vie à l’éducation, elles inspireraient les générations futures. If they dedicated their lives to education, they would inspire future generations.

Other Conjugations for Dédier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dédier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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