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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déneiger

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The English translation of the French verb déneiger is “to clear away snow”. The infinitive form is pronounced “day-nay-zhee-ay.”

The word déneiger comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” which means “to remove” and the noun “neige” which means “snow”. It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the act of removing snow from a surface, such as a road, driveway, or sidewalk.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, déneiger is typically used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Nous préférons que tu déneigeais le trottoir avant que les enfants sortent jouer. (We would prefer that you cleared the sidewalk before the children go out to play.)
  2. Il était possible que les employés déneigeaient l’entrée de l’immeuble chaque matin. (It was possible that the employees were clearing the entrance of the building every morning.)
  3. J’espérais que mes voisins déneigeaient leur allée avant que je quitte pour le travail. (I was hoping that my neighbors were clearing their driveway before I left for work.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déneigeasse Si je gagnais à la loterie, je déneigeasse mon entrée tous les jours. If I won the lottery, I would shovel my driveway every day.
tu déneigeasses Si tu avais un chien, tu déneigeasses le trottoir devant chez toi. If you had a dog, you would shovel the sidewalk in front of your house.
il déneigeât Il serait plus facile si il déneigeât plus souvent. It would be easier if he shoveled more often.
elle déneigeât Elle préférait que il déneigeât la voiture avant qu’elle parte au travail. She would prefer if he shoveled the car before she leaves for work.
on déneigeât Si on déneigeât les routes, il n’y aurait pas d’accidents. If one shoveled the roads, there would be no accidents.
nous déneigeassions Si nous déneigeassions ensemble, ça serait plus rapide. If we shoveled together, it would be faster.
vous déneigeassiez Si vous déneigeassiez votre allée, vous pourriez sortir la voiture. If you shoveled your driveway, you could take the car out.
ils déneigeassent S’ils déneigeassent leur balcon, ils pourraient l’utiliser l’été. If they shoveled their balcony, they could use it in the summer.
elles déneigeassent Si elles déneigeassent le toit, il ne s’effondrerait pas. If they shoveled the roof, it wouldn’t collapse.

Other Conjugations for Déneiger.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déneiger
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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