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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb démoucheter

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The English translation of the French verb démoucheter is “to clean out (a pipe or chimney)”. It is pronounced “day-moo-shuh-tay”.

The origin of the word démoucheter can be traced back to the Old French word “desmouchier”, which means “to clean out the nose”. This evolved into the modern French word “démoucher”, which means “to clean out”. The addition of the suffix “-er” turns it into a verb, making it “démoucheter”.

In everyday French, the verb démoucheter is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense when expressing a desire or a hypothetical situation. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je démouchetasse la cheminée avant l’hiver. (I had to clean out the chimney before winter.)
  2. J’aimerais que tu démouchetasses cette tuyauterie. (I wish you would clean out this piping.)
  3. Si j’étais plus fort, je démouchetasserais moi-même ce conduit. (If I were stronger, I would clean out this duct myself.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je démouchetais Si j’étais un oiseau, je démouchetais tous les jours. If I were a bird, I would clear my throat every day.
tu démouchetais Si tu étais malade, tu démouchetais souvent. If you were sick, you would clear your throat often.
il démouchetait Il aurait été mieux s’il démouchetait avant de parler. It would have been better if he cleared his throat before speaking.
elle démouchetait Elle aurait été plus à l’aise si elle démouchetait régulièrement. She would have been more comfortable if she cleared her throat regularly.
on démouchetait Si on démouchetait avant de chanter, on aurait une meilleure voix. If one cleared their throat before singing, one would have a better voice.
nous démouchetions Si nous démouchetions en public, nous serions moins gênés. If we cleared our throats in public, we would be less embarrassed.
vous démouchetiez Si vous démouchetiez avant de parler, vous auriez une voix plus claire. If you cleared your throat before speaking, you would have a clearer voice.
ils démouchetaient S’ils démouchetaient plus souvent, ils irriteraient moins leur gorge. If they cleared their throats more often, they would irritate their throat less.
elles démouchetaient Si elles démouchetaient en même temps, ça serait un chaos. If they all cleared their throats at the same time, it would be chaos.

Other Conjugations for Démoucheter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démoucheter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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