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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dénigrer

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The English translation of the French verb dénigrer is “to denigrate” or “to speak ill of”. It is pronounced as “day-nee-grehr” in its infinitive form.

Dénigrer comes from the Latin word “denigrare”, which means “to blacken”. It entered the French language in the 17th century and became popular in the 19th century.

In everyday French, dénigrer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express doubt, possibility or uncertainty about something that has happened or is happening. It is also used to express disapproval or criticism.

Example 1: Je ne pensais pas qu’il dénigrait mes idées.
Translation: I didn’t think he was denigrating my ideas.

Example 2: Il était possible que les médias dénigrent son travail.
Translation: It was possible that the media were denigrating his work.

Example 3: Nous voulions qu’ils ne dénigrent pas nos efforts.
Translation: We wanted them to not denigrate our efforts.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dénigrasse Je serais déçue si je dénigrasse quelqu’un. I would be disappointed if I denigrated someone.
tu dénigrasses Si tu dénigrasses moins, tu serais plus aimable. If you denigrated less, you would be more likable.
il dénigrât Il serait surpris si il dénigrât cette personne. He would be surprised if he denigrated that person.
elle dénigrât Elle serait blessée si elle dénigrât son travail. She would be hurt if she denigrated her work.
on dénigrât Si on dénigrât moins, on pourrait avoir une discussion constructive. If one denigrated less, one could have a constructive discussion.
nous dénigrassions Si nous dénigrassions toujours les autres, nous n’aurions pas d’amis. If we always denigrated others, we would not have any friends.
vous dénigrassiez Si vous dénigrassiez plus souvent, vous seriez moins apprécié. If you denigrated more often, you would be less appreciated.
ils dénigrassent S’ils dénigrassent tout le temps, ils n’auraient jamais de bonheur. If they denigrated all the time, they would never have happiness.
elles dénigrassent Si elles dénigrassent plus, elles auraient moins de succès. If they denigrated more, they would have less success.

Other Conjugations for Dénigrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dénigrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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