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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défarder

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The English translation of the French verb défarder is “to undo” or “to untangle”. It is pronounced as “day-far-day” in its infinitive form.

Défarder comes from the Old French word “desfarder” which means “to unbind” or “to take off one’s clothing”. It is derived from the Latin word “disfarcire” which means “to take off one’s mask”.

In everyday French, défarder is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical action or wish in the past. This tense is formed by using the present subjunctive of avoir or être followed by the past participle of the verb.

Here are three simple examples of défarder in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu défardes tes cheveux avant le dîner. (I wished that you would untangle your hair before dinner.)
  2. Il fallait que nous défardions les câbles pour éviter les accidents. (We had to untangle the wires to prevent accidents.)
  3. Elle aurait préféré que je défardasse la situation avant de partir. (She would have preferred that I untangled the situation before leaving.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je défardasse Si j’avais su, je défardasse la situation. If I had known, I would have resolved the situation.
tu défardasses Si tu m’avais écouté, tu défardasses la dispute. If you had listened to me, you would have resolved the argument.
il défardât Il serait mieux si il défardât la situation. It would be better if he resolved the situation.
elle défardât Elle serait plus calme si elle défardât le problème. She would be calmer if she resolved the problem.
on défardât Si on défardât la situation, on pourrait continuer. If one resolved the situation, we could continue.
nous défardassions Si nous défardassions ensemble, nous aurions plus de succès. If we resolved together, we would have more success.
vous défardassiez Si vous défardassiez la situation, ça irait mieux. If you resolved the situation, it would be better.
ils défardassent S’ils défardassent la dispute, ils se réconcilieraient. If they resolved the argument, they would reconcile.
elles défardassent Si elles défardassent leurs problèmes, elles seraient plus heureuses. If they resolved their problems, they would be happier.

Other Conjugations for Défarder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défarder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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