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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb démembrer

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The English translation of the French verb démembrer is “to dismember.” It is pronounced as “day-mohn-bray.”

Démembrer is derived from the Latin word “dismembrare,” meaning “to cut off a limb.” It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the act of physically separating or dismembering body parts, but can also be used figuratively to mean breaking apart or dividing something.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, démembrer is conjugated as follows:

  • Je démembrasse
  • Tu démembrasses
  • Il/elle démembrât
  • Nous démembrassions
  • Vous démembrassiez
  • Ils/elles démembrassent

Examples:

  1. Il était temps que j’arrive avant qu’ils ne démembrassent le corps. (It was time for me to arrive before they dismembered the body.)
  2. Je souhaitais que tu n’aies jamais appris à démembrer les animaux. (I wished you had never learned how to dismember animals.)
  3. Elle craignait que nous ne démembrassions notre entreprise en différents départements. (She feared that we would break up our company into different departments.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je démembrasse Je serais choqué si je démembrasse quelqu’un. I would be shocked if I dismembered someone.
tu démembrasses Si tu démembrasses un animal, tu devrais être puni. If you dismembered an animal, you should be punished.
il démembrât Il serait traumatisé s’il démembrât un corps. He would be traumatized if he dismembered a body.
elle démembrât Elle serait horrifiée si elle démembrât une poupée. She would be horrified if she dismembered a doll.
on démembrât Si on démembrât quelqu’un, ce serait un crime grave. If one dismembered someone, it would be a serious crime.
nous démembrassions Nous serions choqués si nous démembrassions un cadavre. We would be shocked if we dismembered a corpse.
vous démembrassiez Si vous démembrassiez un ennemi, vous risqueriez la prison. If you dismembered an enemy, you would risk going to prison.
ils démembrassent S’ils démembrassent un animal, ils pourraient être poursuivis. If they dismembered an animal, they could be prosecuted.
elles démembrassent Si elles démembrassent un monstre, elles seraient héroïques. If they dismembered a monster, they would be heroic.

Other Conjugations for Démembrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démembrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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