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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb démonter

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The English translation of the French verb démonter is “to dismantle” or “to take apart.” It is pronounced as “dey-mon-tay.”

Démonter comes from the Old French word “desmonter,” which comes from the Latin word “dismonstrare,” meaning “to reveal” or “to explain.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que je démonte le meuble avant de le jeter. (I had to dismantle the furniture before throwing it away.)

  2. Elle voulait que nous démontions la tente avant la pluie. (She wanted us to take down the tent before it rained.)

  3. Je préférais que tu démontes le jouet pour voir comment il fonctionne. (I preferred for you to take apart the toy to see how it works.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je démontasse Je serais content si je démontasse mes meubles. I would be happy if I dismantled my furniture.
tu démontasses Si tu démontasses plus souvent, tu aurais moins de problèmes. If you dismantled more often, you would have fewer problems.
il démontât Il serait surpris si il démontât le téléviseur. He would be surprised if he dismantled the television.
elle démontât Elle serait contente si elle démontât le lit. She would be happy if she dismantled the bed.
on démontât Si on démontât ensemble, ça irait plus vite. If we dismantled together, it would go faster.
nous démontassions Si nous démontassions la voiture, nous pourrions la réparer. If we dismantled the car, we could fix it.
vous démontassiez Si vous démontassiez le moteur, vous pourriez le remplacer. If you dismantled the engine, you could replace it.
ils démontassent S’ils démontassent le meuble, il serait plus facile à déplacer. If they dismantled the furniture, it would be easier to move.
elles démontassent Si elles démontassent le vélo, elles pourraient le remonter. If they dismantled the bike, they could put it back together.

Other Conjugations for Démonter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démonter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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