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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déminer

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The English translation of the French verb déminer is “to demine.” It is pronounced “day-mee-nay.”

The language origin of déminer comes from the prefix “de-” meaning “un-” or “de-” and the word “miner” meaning “to mine.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a verbal mood used to express an uncertain or hypothetical action in the past.

Three simple examples of déminer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je déminasse toutes les zones dangereuses. (It was necessary for me to demine all the dangerous areas.)
  2. Nous aurions aimé que vous déminiez le terrain avant notre arrivée. (We would have liked for you to demine the area before our arrival.)
  3. Il était important que les soldats déminassent le chemin avant d’y envoyer les civils. (It was important for the soldiers to demine the path before sending civilians there.)

English translations:

  1. It was necessary for me to demine all the dangerous areas.
  2. We would have liked for you to demine the area before our arrival.
  3. It was important for the soldiers to demine the path before sending civilians there.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déminasse Pour que je déminasse cette zone, il faut d’abord la sécuriser. In order for me to clear this area of landmines, it must first be secured.
tu déminasses Si tu déminasses plus vite, on pourrait avancer plus rapidement. If you cleared the landmines faster, we could move forward more quickly.
il déminât Il faudrait qu’il déminât avant de s’engager dans cette zone dangereuse. He should clear the landmines before entering this dangerous area.
elle déminât Elle aurait préféré que son mari déminât avant de partir en mission. She would have preferred for her husband to clear the landmines before leaving on a mission.
on déminât Si on déminât toutes les zones contaminées, le pays serait plus sûr. If all contaminated areas were cleared of landmines, the country would be safer.
nous déminassions Nous pourrions construire une école si nous déminassions cette zone. We could build a school if we cleared this area of landmines.
vous déminassiez Si vous déminassiez plus souvent, il y aurait moins d’accidents. If you cleared landmines more often, there would be fewer accidents.
ils déminassent Les experts recommandent qu’ils déminassent cette région avant la saison des pluies. Experts recommend that they clear this region of landmines before the rainy season.
elles déminassent Il est important que les femmes déminassent aussi, pour l’égalité des genres. It is important for women to also clear landmines, for gender equality.

Other Conjugations for Déminer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déminer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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