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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dénatter

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The English translation of the French verb dénatter is “to untangle” or “to detangle.” The infinitive form is pronounced “day-nah-tay.”

The word dénatter comes from the French noun “nattes” which means “braids.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples of dénatter in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je dénattasse mes cheveux avant d’aller à la plage. (I had to untangle my hair before going to the beach.)
  2. Elle voulait que je lui dénattasse les cheveux tous les soirs. (She wanted me to detangle her hair every evening.)
  3. J’aimerais que tu dénattasses tes cheveux avant de te coucher. (I would like you to untangle your hair before going to bed.)

In these examples, dénatter is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a desired or requested action in the past. The verb is conjugated with the auxiliary verb “avoir” and the past participle “dénatté” to form the past subjunctive tense.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dénattasse Si je dénattasse plus, j’aurais moins de cheveux blancs. If I pulled out more hair, I would have less white hair.
tu dénattasses Si tu dénattasses plus, tu aurais une plus grosse boule de poils. If you pulled out more hair, you would have a bigger ball of fur.
il dénattât Si il dénattât tous les jours, il deviendrait chauve. If he pulled out hair every day, he would become bald.
elle dénattât Si elle dénattât plus doucement, elle ne ferait pas mal. If she pulled out hair more gently, she wouldn’t hurt.
on dénattât Si on ne dénattât pas, on aurait des noeuds dans les cheveux. If one didn’t pull out hair, one would have knots in their hair.
nous dénattassions Si nous dénattassions ensemble, nous serions plus rapides. If we pulled out hair together, we would be faster.
vous dénattassiez Si vous dénattassiez plus souvent, vous n’auriez pas autant de cheveux. If you pulled out hair more often, you wouldn’t have as much hair.
ils dénattassent S’ils étaient plus patients, ils ne dénattassent pas autant. If they were more patient, they wouldn’t pull out as much hair.
elles dénattassent Si elles dénattassent les uns des autres, elles seraient plus calmes. If they pulled out hair from each other, they would be calmer.

Other Conjugations for Dénatter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dénatter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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