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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégrader

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The English translation of the French verb dégrader is “to degrade.” It is pronounced as “day-gra-day.”

The word dégrader comes from the Latin word “degradare” which means “to lower in rank.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express uncertainty or hypothetical situations in the past.

Three examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Je voulais que tu ne me dégrades pas devant mes amis. (I wanted you not to degrade me in front of my friends.)

  2. Il fallait que nous dégradions notre comportement envers les autres. (We needed to degrade our behavior towards others.)

  3. La directrice souhaitait que les employés ne dégradent pas le matériel de l’entreprise. (The manager hoped that the employees wouldn’t degrade the company’s equipment.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dégradasse Je préférais que je dégradasse tout de suite. I would prefer for me to degrade everything right away.
tu dégradasses Si tu ne dégradasses pas ta chambre, je te punirais. If you didn’t mess up your room, I would punish you.
il dégradât Il serait fâché si il dégradât son téléphone. He would be angry if he damaged his phone.
elle dégradât Elle serait triste si elle dégradât son amitié avec lui. She would be sad if she ruined her friendship with him.
on dégradât Si on ne dégradât pas l’environnement, il n’y aurait pas de soucis. If one didn’t harm the environment, there wouldn’t be any worries.
nous dégradassions Si nous dégradassions nos relations, nous pourrions les réparer. If we damaged our relationships, we could repair them.
vous dégradassiez Si vous ne dégradassiez pas le matériel, vous n’aurez pas à payer. If you didn’t damage the equipment, you wouldn’t have to pay.
ils dégradassent S’ils dégradassent le quartier, ils seraient arrêtés. If they degraded the neighborhood, they would be arrested.
elles dégradassent Si elles dégradassent leur santé, elles regretteraient leurs choix. If they damaged their health, they would regret their choices.

Other Conjugations for Dégrader.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégrader
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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