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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défeuiller

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The English translation of the French verb défeuiller is “to defoliate”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-fuh-ee-yay”.

Défeuiller comes from the French word “feuille” which means “leaf”. It is a combination of the prefix “dé-” meaning “down” and the root “feuille”, giving the verb the meaning of “to take the leaves down”.

In everyday French, défeuiller is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a wish, a hypothetical situation, or a doubt in the past. It is formed by using the present tense of the subjunctive mood of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” and the past participle of défeuiller.

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

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu défeuilles ces arbres. (I would have liked you to defoliate these trees.)
  2. Il fallait que nous défeuillions ces plantes. (We had to defoliate these plants.)
  3. J’aurais préféré que vous défeuilliez ces buissons plus tôt. (I would have preferred you to have defoliated these bushes earlier.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je défeuillasse Si j’avais le temps, je défeuillasse le jardin. If I had the time, I would rake the garden.
tu défeuillasses Si tu n’avais pas peur des araignées, tu défeuillasses le toit. If you weren’t scared of spiders, you would rake the roof.
il défeuillât Si il faisait plus froid, il défeuillât les arbres. If it was colder, he would rake the trees.
elle défeuillât Elle serait contente si elle défeuillât les feuilles mortes. She would be happy if she raked the fallen leaves.
on défeuillât Si on avait un râteau, on défeuillât le jardin ensemble. If we had a rake, we would rake the garden together.
nous défeuillassions Si nous avions le temps, nous défeuillassions les feuilles. If we had the time, we would rake the leaves.
vous défeuillassiez Si vous n’aviez pas peur des serpents, vous défeuillassiez la pelouse. If you weren’t afraid of snakes, you would rake the lawn.
ils défeuillassent Si ils étaient là, ils défeuillassent les arbres. If they were here, they would rake the trees.
elles défeuillassent Si elles étaient là, elles défeuillassent les feuilles ensemble. If they were here, they would rake the leaves together.

Other Conjugations for Défeuiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défeuiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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