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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégringoler

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The English translation of the French verb dégringoler is “to tumble” or “to fall down”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-grahn-go-lay”.

Dégringoler comes from the Old French word “degréer” meaning “to unship” or “to dismantle”. The word “gringole” also existed in Old French, meaning “a wooden frame for carrying loads on one’s back”. Over time, these two words combined and evolved into “dégringoler” which now means “to tumble” or “to fall down”.

In everyday French, dégringoler is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a possibility or hypothetical action in the past. It is also commonly used to show a wish or regret in the past.

Here are three examples of dégringoler in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je dégringolasse de ce rocher avant qu’il ne soit trop tard. (I had to tumble down from this rock before it was too late.)
  2. J’aurais aimé que tu ne dégringolasses pas de vélo hier. (I wish you hadn’t fallen off your bike yesterday.)
  3. Elle regrettait qu’ils dégringolassent dans la descente à ski et se blessent. (She regretted that they tumbled down the ski slope and got injured.)

In these examples, dégringoler is used with the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a possibility, a wish, or a regret in the past. It adds a sense of uncertainty or doubt to the action, making it more hypothetical or subjective.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dégringolasse Si j’étais plus prudent, je dégringolasse moins souvent. If I were more careful, I would fall less often.
tu dégringolasses Si tu courais moins vite, tu dégringolasses moins. If you ran less quickly, you would fall less.
il dégringolât Il serait plus heureux si il dégringolât moins fréquemment. He would be happier if he fell less frequently.
elle dégringolât Elle serait en colère si elle dégringolât de nouveau. She would be angry if she fell again.
on dégringolât Si on mangeait mieux, on dégringolât moins souvent. If one ate better, one would fall less often.
nous dégringolassions Si nous prenions plus de précautions, nous dégringolassions moins. If we took more precautions, we would fall less.
vous dégringolassiez Si vous ralentissiez, vous dégringolassiez moins. If you slowed down, you would fall less.
ils dégringolassent S’ils portaient des chaussures plus adéquates, ils dégringolassent moins. If they wore more suitable shoes, they would fall less.
elles dégringolassent Si elles faisaient attention, elles dégringolassent moins. If they paid attention, they would fall less.

Other Conjugations for Dégringoler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégringoler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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