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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb démêler

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The English translation of the French verb démêler is to unravel or untangle. The infinitive form, démêler, is pronounced as “day-meh-lay.”

The word démêler comes from the Latin prefix “de-” meaning “apart,” and the word “mêler” meaning “to mix.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a past hypothetical or uncertain action or situation.

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

  1. Il était temps que je démêle cette situation compliquée. (It was time for me to unravel this complicated situation.)

  2. Je cherchais un moyen de démêler ce problème avant qu’il ne devienne plus grave. (I was looking for a way to unravel this problem before it became more serious.)

  3. J’aurais aimé que tu m’aides à démêler tous ces fils emmêlés. (I wish you had helped me unravel all these tangled threads.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je démêlasse Je serais contente si je démêlasse les problèmes. I would be happy if I solved the problems.
tu démêlasses Si tu écoutais plus, tu démêlasses plus facilement. If you listened more, you would untangle more easily.
il démêlât Il serait étonné si il démêlât la vérité. He would be surprised if he untangled the truth.
elle démêlât Elle serait fière si elle démêlât le mystère. She would be proud if she unraveled the mystery.
on démêlât Si on le démêlât ensemble, ça serait plus rapide. If we untangled it together, it would be faster.
nous démêlassions Si nous démêlassions tous les problèmes, ça serait mieux. If we solved all the problems, it would be better.
vous démêlassiez Si vous démêlassiez les fils, vous les casseriez moins. If you untangled the threads, you would break them less.
ils démêlassent S’ils démêlassent l’affaire, ils seraient plus satisfaits. If they unraveled the matter, they would be more satisfied.
elles démêlassent Si elles démêlassent les choses, ça serait plus clair. If they untangled things, it would be clearer.

Other Conjugations for Démêler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démêler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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