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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défroncer

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The English translation of the French verb défroncer is “to smooth out” or “to uncrease.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-frohn-say.”

Défroncer comes from the Old French word “desfroncier,” meaning “to undo wrinkles.” It is composed of the prefix “de-” which means “undo” and the word “fronce” which means “wrinkle.”

In everyday French, défroncer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a wish, emotion, or doubt in the past.

Three simple examples of défroncer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu défronces ta chemise avant de sortir. (I wish you had smoothed out your shirt before going out.)
  2. Il fallait que je défronce ma jupe pour paraître plus présentable. (I had to uncrease my skirt to look more presentable.)
  3. Nous espérions que le repassage défroncerait les plis de notre linge. (We were hoping that ironing would smooth out the wrinkles in our clothes.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je défronçasse Pourquoi est-ce que je défronçasse mes sourcils ? Why would I have furrows in my eyebrows?
tu défronçasses Si tu défronçasses ton front, tu aurais l’air fâché. If you furrowed your brow, you would look angry.
il défronçât Il serait plus agréable s’il défronçât moins. It would be more pleasant if he furrowed less.
elle défronçât Elle défronçât son nez quand elle était concentrée. She furrowed her brow when she was focused.
on défronçât Je me demande ce qu’on ferait s’il défronçât tout le temps. I wonder what we would do if he furrowed all the time.
nous défronçassions Pourquoi est-ce que nous défronçassions notre front ? Why would we furrow our brow?
vous défronçassiez Si vous ne défronçassiez pas votre front, vous auriez moins de rides. If you didn’t furrow your brow, you would have less wrinkles.
ils défronçassent S’ils défronçassent plus souvent, ils auraient l’air plus détendus. If they furrowed more often, they would look more relaxed.
elles défronçassent Si elles défronçassent leur front, elles paraîtraient plus jeunes. If they furrowed their brow, they would look younger.

Other Conjugations for Défroncer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défroncer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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