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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb démériter

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The English translation of the French verb démériter is “to not deserve” or “to be unworthy of.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-may-ree-tay.”

The word démériter comes from the prefix “dé,” which means “not” and the verb “mériter,” which means “to deserve.” It is mostly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which indicates a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que tu n’aies pas démérité cette promotion. (It was necessary for you to not deserve this promotion.)
  2. Nous doutions qu’elle eût démérité notre confiance. (We doubted that she had not deserved our trust.)
  3. Ils auraient été déçus si nous avions démérité leur soutien. (They would have been disappointed if we had not deserved their support.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déméritasse Si je n’étais pas faible, je déméritasse moins. If I weren’t weak, I would deserve less blame.
tu déméritasses Peut-être que tu serais plus courageux si tu déméritasses moins. Maybe you would be braver if you deserved less blame.
il déméritât Il serait déçu si il déméritât encore. He would be disappointed if he deserved even more blame.
elle déméritât Elle pourrait réussir si elle déméritât moins. She could succeed if she deserved less blame.
on déméritât Si on déméritât toujours, personne ne serait parfait. If one always deserved blame, no one would be perfect.
nous déméritions Si nous déméritions plus, nous serait plus humble. If we deserved more blame, we would be more humble.
vous déméritiez Si vous ne déméritiez pas, vous seriez plus appréciés. If you didn’t deserve blame, you would be more appreciated.
ils déméritassent S’ils n’avaient pas déméritassent, ils seraient plus respectés. If they didn’t deserve blame, they would be more respected.
elles déméritassent Si elles n’avaient pas déméritassent, elles seraient plus fières. If they didn’t deserve blame, they would be more proud.

Other Conjugations for Démériter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démériter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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