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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb délabrer

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The English translation of the French verb délabrer is “to dilapidate” or “to ruin.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “deh-lah-bray.”

Délabrer comes from the French word “labre,” which means “ruined” or “damaged.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense with the respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je délabrasse cette vieille maison abandonnée. (It was necessary that I dilapidated this abandoned old house.)
  2. Nous avions peur qu’ils ne délabrassent notre jardin. (We were afraid that they would ruin our garden.)
  3. Si je gagnais à la loterie, je ne délabrerais pas mon argent. (If I won the lottery, I wouldn’t dilapidate my money.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je délabrasse Si j’étais riche, je délabrasse beaucoup de maisons. If I were rich, I would restore many houses.
tu délabrasses Si tu avais plus de temps, tu délabrasses plus de vieux bâtiments. If you had more time, you would restore more old buildings.
il délabrât Il serait content si il délabrât moins de bâtiments historiques. He would be happy if he restored fewer historic buildings.
elle délabrât Elle serait surprise si elle délabrât une maison entière. She would be surprised if she restored an entire house.
on délabrât Si on délabrât plus de bâtiments, on aurait plus de travail. If one restored more buildings, one would have more work.
nous délabrassions Si nous délabrassions ensemble, nous pourrions accomplir beaucoup. If we restored together, we could accomplish a lot.
vous délabrassiez Si vous délabrassiez plus de maisons, vous pourriez créer de l’emploi. If you restored more houses, you could create jobs.
ils délabrassent S’ils délabrassent une vieille église, elle deviendrait magnifique. If they restored an old church, it would become beautiful.
elles délabrassent Si elles délabrassent un vieux manoir, il deviendrait habitable. If they restored an old mansion, it would become livable.

Other Conjugations for Délabrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délabrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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