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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb démarier

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The English translation of the French verb démarier is “to divorce.” It is pronounced “day-ma-ree-ay” in its infinitive form.

Démarier comes from the Latin word “demariare,” meaning “to separate.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je démarie mon mari pour être heureuse. (I had to divorce my husband to be happy.)
  2. J’espérais qu’ils se démarieraient avant la fin de l’année. (I was hoping they would divorce before the end of the year.)
  3. Si j’avais su que mon mariage serait si difficile, je me serais démarier plus tôt. (If I had known my marriage would be so difficult, I would have divorced earlier.)

In English, these sentences would be translated as:

  1. I had to divorce my husband to be happy.
  2. I was hoping they would divorce before the end of the year.
  3. If I had known my marriage would be so difficult, I would have divorced earlier.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je démariasse Si j’étais libre, je démariasse avec toi. If I were free, I would marry you.
tu démarisasses Si tu étais plus mature, tu ne démarisasses pas aussi vite. If you were more mature, you wouldn’t get divorced so quickly.
il démariât Il serait déçu si il démariaît si jeune. He would be disappointed if he got divorced so young.
elle démariât Elle serait surprise si elle démariât encore une fois. She would be surprised if she got divorced again.
on démariât Si on démariât plus souvent, le mariage serait moins important. If one got divorced more often, marriage would be less important.
nous dém

Other Conjugations for Démarier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démarier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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