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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb délibérer

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The English translation of the French verb délibérer is “to deliberate.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-lee-beh-ray.”

Délibérer comes from the Latin word deliberare, meaning “to consider” or “to deliberate.” It entered the French language in the 13th century with the same meaning. In every day French, délibérer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three examples of délibérer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Je craignais qu’elle ne délibérât trop longtemps avant de prendre une décision. (I was afraid she would deliberate too long before making a decision.)
  2. Nous voulions que vous délibérassiez ensemble avant de décider de la marche à suivre. (We wanted you to deliberate together before deciding on the next steps.)
  3. Les juges exigeaient que les jurés délibérassent en secret pour éviter toute influence extérieure. (The judges demanded that the jurors deliberate in secret to avoid any external influence.)

English translations:

  1. I was afraid she would deliberate too long before making a decision.
  2. We wanted you to deliberate together before deciding on the next steps.
  3. The judges demanded that the jurors deliberate in secret to avoid any external influence.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je délibérasse Si j’en avais l’occasion, je délibérasse beaucoup. If I had the opportunity, I would deliberate a lot.
tu délibérasses Si tu t’en fichais, tu délibérasses déjà. If you didn’t care, you would already deliberate.
il délibérât Il serait content si il délibérât calmement. He would be happy if he deliberated calmly.
elle délibérât Elle serait d’accord si elle délibérât en groupe. She would agree if she deliberated in a group.
on délibérât Si on délibérât sérieusement, on trouverait une solution. If one deliberated seriously, one would find a solution.
nous délibérassions Si nous délibérassions plus longtemps, nous prendrions une décision. If we deliberated longer, we would make a decision.
vous délibérassiez Si vous délibérassiez ensemble, vous arriveriez à un consensus. If you deliberated together, you would reach a consensus.
ils délibérassent S’ils délibérassent plus efficacement, ils résoudraient le problème. If they deliberated more effectively, they would solve the problem.
elles délibérassent Si elles délibérassent ensemble, elles arriveraient à une décision. If they deliberated together, they would come to a decision.

Other Conjugations for Délibérer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délibérer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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