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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déléguer

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The English translation of the French verb déléguer is “to delegate.” It is pronounced “day-lay-ger.”

The language origin of déléguer comes from the Latin word “delegare,” which means “to send on business.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples:

  1. J’aurais délégué cette tâche à mon collègue si j’avais su que j’étais malade. (I would have delegated this task to my colleague if I had known I was sick.)

  2. Elle aurait délégué son pouvoir à son assistant si elle avait été en vacances. (She would have delegated her power to her assistant if she had been on vacation.)

  3. Nous aurions délégué notre autorité à une équipe plus compétente si nous avions su qu’ils étaient disponibles. (We would have delegated our authority to a more competent team if we had known they were available.)

English translations:

  1. I would have delegated this task to my colleague if I had known I was sick.

  2. She would have delegated her power to her assistant if she had been on vacation.

  3. We would have delegated our authority to a more competent team if we had known they were available.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déléguasse Si j’étais président, je déléguasse plus de pouvoir. If I were president, I would delegate more power.
tu déléguasses Si tu étais responsable, tu déléguasses mieux. If you were in charge, you would delegate better.
il déléguât Si il déléguât ses tâches, il aurait plus de temps libre. If he delegated his tasks, he would have more free time.
elle déléguât Si elle déléguât plus souvent, elle serait moins stressée. If she delegated more often, she would be less stressed.
on déléguât Si on déléguât les décisions, on partagerait la responsabilité. If one delegated decisions, one would share the responsibility.
nous déléguassions Si nous déléguassions mieux, nous serions plus efficaces. If we delegated better, we would be more efficient.
vous déléguassiez Si vous déléguassiez plus souvent, vous auriez plus de temps libre. If you delegated more often, you would have more free time.
ils déléguassent S’ils déléguassent leurs tâches, ils pourraient se concentrer sur d’autres choses. If they delegated their tasks, they could focus on other things.
elles déléguassent Si elles déléguassent plus souvent, elles auraient moins de travail. If they delegated more often, they would have less work.

Other Conjugations for Déléguer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déléguer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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