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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb délainer

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The English translation of the French verb délainer is “to shear” or “to remove the wool” from an animal, specifically a sheep. It is pronounced as “day-lay-nay” in its infinitive form.

The word délainer comes from the French word “laine” meaning “wool” and the prefix “dé-” which indicates a reversal or removal of something. It originated from the Latin word “lana” meaning “wool.”

In everyday French, délainer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses uncertainty, doubt or a hypothetical situation in the past. It is commonly used in written or formal language.

Examples of délainer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with English translations:

1) Il fallait que je délânât les moutons avant la prochaine saison froide. (It was necessary for me to shear the sheep before the next cold season.)
2) J’aimerais que tu délânasses les brebis pour faire des pulls en laine. (I would like for you to shear the ewes to make wool sweaters.)
3) Le fermier voulait que nous délânions les agneaux pour vendre la laine. (The farmer wanted us to shear the lambs to sell the wool.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je délainasse Il faudrait que je délainasse la laine. I would need to [délaire] the wool.
tu délainasses Si tu délainasses mieux, tu fermerais mieux. If you [délaire] better, you would close better.
il délainât Il préférait que il délainât plus fort. He preferred that he [délaire] louder.
elle délainât Elle voulait que elle délainât plus proprement. She wanted her to [délaire] more neatly.
on délainât Il était important que on délainât régulièrement. It was important that one [délaire] regularly.
nous délainassions Nous aurions adoré que nous délainassions ensemble. We would have loved for us to [délaire] together.
vous délainassiez Si vous délainassiez plus soigneusement, vous obtiendriez de meilleurs résultats. If you [délaire] more carefully, you would get better results.
ils délainassent Il était dommage que ils délainassent si lentement. It was a pity that they [délaire] so slowly.
elles délainassent Si elles délainassent plus souvent, elles seraient plus efficaces. If they [délaire] more often, they would be more effective.

Other Conjugations for Délainer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délainer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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