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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégonfler

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The English translation of the French verb dégonfler is “to deflate” or “to let air out.” The infinitive form is pronounced “day-gon-flay.”

Dégonfler comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” meaning “down” or “off” and the verb “gonfler” meaning “to inflate.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

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

  1. Il fallait que je dégonflasse les pneus avant de les réparer. (I had to let the air out of the tires before fixing them.)
  2. Nous aurions aimé que tu dégonflasses les ballons avant le départ. (We would have liked you to deflate the balloons before leaving.)
  3. Ils ne croyaient pas que les enfants dégonflaient les matelas chaque matin. (They didn’t believe that the children were letting the air out of the mattresses every morning.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dégonflasse Si j’avais un ballon, je dégonflasse tout le temps. If I had a ball, I would deflate it all the time.
tu dégonflasses Si tu m’écoutais, tu dégonflasses ton ego. If you listened to me, you would deflate your ego.
il dégonflât Si il ne faisait pas attention, il dégonflât le pneu. If he wasn’t careful, he would deflate the tire.
elle dégonflât Elle serait déçue si elle dégonflât le ballon. She would be disappointed if she deflated the ball.
on dégonflât Si on se trompait, on dégonflât les arguments. If we were wrong, we would deflate the arguments.
nous dégonflassions Si nous étions courageux, nous dégonflassions le dictateur. If we were brave, we would deflate the dictator.
vous dégonflassiez Si vous aviez le courage, vous dégonflassiez l’ego des autres. If you had courage, you would deflate other people’s egos.
ils dégonflassent S’ils étaient honnêtes, ils dégonflassent leur discours. If they were honest, they would deflate their speech.
elles dégonflassent Si elles ne se reposaient pas, elles dégonflassent le ballon. If they didn’t rest, they would deflate the ball.

Other Conjugations for Dégonfler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégonfler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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