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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déhouiller

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The English translation of the French verb déhouiller is “to skin” or “to peel.” It is pronounced as “day-wee-yay” in its infinitive form.

The word déhouiller comes from the Old French word “huel,” meaning bark or skin, and the prefix “de-” which can indicate a reversal or removal of something. In everyday French, déhouiller is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Example 1: J’aimerais que tu déhouilles les pommes avant de les couper. (I would like you to peel the apples before cutting them.)
Example 2: Il fallait que nous déhouillions les carottes pour la soupe. (We had to peel the carrots for the soup.)
Example 3: Je voulais que mes enfants déhouillent les bananes pour le goûter. (I wanted my children to peel the bananas for snack.)

In all of these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a desire or requirement in the past, with the action of peeling being uncertain or hypothetical. In English, the translation may use the conditional form (would + infinitive) or the past tense (had to + infinitive) to convey the same meaning.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déhoulasse Il fallait que je me déhoulasse avant de partir. I had to untangle myself before leaving.
tu déhoulasses Si tu travaillais plus, tu te déhoulasses moins. If you worked more, you would untangle yourself less.
il déhoulât S’il savait mieux déhouiller, il ne serait pas si fatigué. If he knew how to untangle better, he wouldn’t be so tired.
elle déhoulât Elle préférait que je me déhoulât avant de l’aider. She preferred that I untangle myself before helping her.
on déhoulât Si on se déhoulât plus souvent, on ne se blesserait pas. If one untangled more often, one wouldn’t get hurt.
nous déhoulassions Si nous déhoulassions ensemble, on le ferait plus vite. If we untangled together, we would do it faster.
vous déhoulassiez Il faudrait que vous déhoulassiez pour aller plus vite. You would have to untangle to go faster.
ils déhoulassent Ils demandaient que je me déhoulassent avant de les aider. They asked me to untangle myself before helping them.
elles déhoulassent Si elles se déhoulassent plus souvent, elles seraient moins stressées. If they untangled more often, they would be less stressed.

Other Conjugations for Déhouiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déhouiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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