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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb délacer

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The English translation of the French verb délacer is “to unlace” or “to loosen.” It is pronounced as “day-la-say” in its infinitive form.

The word délacer is derived from the Latin word “dislacciare,” which means “to loosen.” It entered the French language in the 16th century.

In everyday French, délacer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three examples of using délacer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je délace mes chaussures avant de me coucher. (It was necessary for me to unlace my shoes before going to bed.)
  2. Je doutais qu’il ait délacé le corset de sa robe. (I doubted that he had loosened the corset of her dress.)
  3. Elle avait peur que ses cheveux se délassent pendant la soirée. (She was afraid that her hair would come undone during the evening.)

English translations:

  1. I had to unlace my shoes before going to bed.
  2. I doubted that he had loosened the corset of her dress.
  3. She was afraid that her hair would come undone during the evening.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je délaçasse Si j’étais patient, je délaçasse mes chaussures lentement. If I were patient, I would unlace my shoes slowly.
tu délaçasses Si tu étais gentil, tu délaçasses mes chaussures. If you were kind, you would unlace my shoes.
il délaçât Si il était poli, il délaçât ses chaussures avant d’entrer. If he were polite, he would unlace his shoes before entering.
elle délaçât Si elle était pressée, elle délaçât ses chaussures rapidement. If she were in a hurry, she would unlace her shoes quickly.
on délaçât Si on délaçât ses chaussures, ça serait plus confortable. If one unlaced their shoes, it would be more comfortable.
nous délaçassions Si nous délaçassions nos chaussures, nous pourrions les nettoyer. If we unlaced our shoes, we could clean them.
vous délaçassiez Si vous délaçassiez vos chaussures, vous pourriez les enlever. If you unlaced your shoes, you could take them off.
ils délaçassent Si ils délaçassent leurs chaussures, ils pourraient les changer. If they unlaced their shoes, they could change them.
elles délaçassent Si elles délaçassent leurs chaussures, elles pourraient les laisser à l’entrée. If they unlaced their shoes, they could leave them at the entrance.

Other Conjugations for Délacer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délacer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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