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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déforcer

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Déforcer is a French verb that means “to weaken” or “to break down”. The infinitive form of déforcer is pronounced as “day-fohr-say”.

The word déforcer is derived from the Old French word desforcier, which came from the Latin word disforcare, meaning “to force apart”. It was first used in the 14th century.

In everyday French, déforcer is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses an uncertain or hypothetical action in the past. It is typically used with the conjunction “que” to introduce a clause.

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

  1. Il fallait que je déforce mes ennemis pour remporter la victoire.
    (It was necessary for me to weaken my enemies in order to win the victory.)

  2. Nous espérions que la pluie déforcerait la sécheresse.
    (We were hoping that the rain would break down the drought.)

  3. Il était possible que la maladie déforce les économies de la famille.
    (It was possible that the illness would weaken the family’s finances.)

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

Sorry, “déforcer” is not a valid verb in French. Please try again with a different verb.

Other Conjugations for Déforcer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déforcer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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