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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dédoubler

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of dédoubler. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb dédoubler is “to double” or “to split in two.” It is pronounced “day-doo-blay” in its infinitive form.

The language origin of dédoubler comes from the prefix “dé-” meaning “apart” or “away,” and the word “doubler” meaning “to double.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express uncertainty, doubt, or a hypothetical situation in the past.

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

  1. Nous souhaitions que tu te dédoubles pour accomplir toutes tes tâches. (We wished that you would double yourself to accomplish all your tasks.)
  2. Il était possible qu’elle se dédouble en deux personnes différentes. (It was possible that she was splitting into two different people.)
  3. Je préférais que vous ne vous dédoubliez pas en tant que personne publique et privée. (I preferred that you didn’t split yourself into a public and private person.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dédoublasse J’espérais que je dédoublasse mes cours cette année. I was hoping to split my classes this year.
tu dédoublasses Si tu prenais moins de cours, tu dédoublasses moins. If you took fewer courses, you would split them less.
il dédoublât Il serait plus facile si on dédoublât les équipes. It would be easier if we split the teams.
elle dédoublât Si elle étudiait plus, elle dédoublât ses chances de réussite. If she studied more, she would double her chances of success.
on dédoublât Si on dédoublât les tâches, ça irait plus vite. If we split the tasks, it would go faster.
nous dédoublions Si nous dédoublions nos efforts, nous réussirions. If we doubled our efforts, we would succeed.
vous dédoubliez Si vous dédoubliez vos heures de travail, vous gagneriez plus. If you worked twice as many hours, you would earn more.
ils dédoublent S’ils dédoublent leurs cours, ils auront plus de temps libre. If they split their classes, they will have more free time.
elles dédoublent Si elles dédoublent leur travail, elles pourront en faire plus. If they double their work, they will be able to do more.

Other Conjugations for Dédoubler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dédoubler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the dédoubler Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts