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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défourailler

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The English translation of the French verb défourailler is “to shoot” or “to fire”. The infinitive form is pronounced “deh-foo-rah-yay”.

The word défourailler is derived from the prefix “dé-” meaning “to remove” and the word “fourailler” which comes from the noun “fouraille” meaning “scrap” or “junk”. In everyday French, défourailler is often used informally to mean “to shoot” or “to fire a gun”.

In the subjonctif imparfait tense, défourailler is used to express a wish or hypothetical action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Si j’avais su que c’était dangereux, je n’aurais pas défouraillé. (If I had known it was dangerous, I wouldn’t have shot.)

  2. Je te conseille de ne pas défourailler avant d’avoir une bonne visibilité. (I advise you not to shoot until you have good visibility.)

  3. Il fallait que tu défourailles pour te défendre, c’était ta seule option. (You had to shoot to defend yourself, it was your only option.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je défouraillasse Si j’étais plus fort, je défouraillasse mes ennemis. If I were stronger, I would shoot down my enemies.
tu défouraillasses Si tu avais un meilleur pistolet, tu défouraillasses plus vite. If you had a better gun, you would shoot faster.
il défouraillât S’il avait plus de munitions, il défouraillât plus longtemps. If he had more ammunition, he would shoot for longer.
elle défouraillât Si elle avait un meilleur angle, elle défouraillât plus précisément. If she had a better angle, she would shoot more accurately.
on défouraillât Si on défouraillât plus près, on toucherait plus souvent. If one shot closer, one would hit more often.
nous défouraillions Si nous défouraillions en même temps, nous ferions plus de dégâts. If we shot at the same time, we would do more damage.
vous défourailliez Si vous défourailliez plus fort, vous feriez plus peur. If you shot harder, you would scare more.
ils défouraillaient S’ils défouraillaient plus loin, ils toucheraient plus de cibles. If they shot further, they would hit more targets.
elles défouraillaient Si elles défouraillaient toutes ensemble, ça serait un carnage. If they all shot together, it would be a massacre.

Other Conjugations for Défourailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défourailler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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