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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dénitrifier

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The English translation of the French verb dénitrifier is “to denitrify.” It is pronounced as “day-nee-tree-fee-yay.”

The word dénitrifier originated from the Latin word “denitrare,” meaning “to remove nitrates.” It is most commonly used in the context of environmental science and refers to the process of converting nitrates or nitrites into gaseous nitrogen.

In everyday French, dénitrifier is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is formed by adding the endings “-asse,” “-asses,” “-ât,” “-assions,” “-assiez,” and “-assent” to the present tense stem of the verb.

Here are three examples of dénitrifier in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Je voulais que tu dénitrifies le sol avant de planter les légumes. (I wanted you to denitrify the soil before planting the vegetables.)
  2. Il fallait que nous dénitrifiassions l’eau pour la rendre potable. (We had to denitrify the water to make it drinkable.)
  3. Si j’avais suivi les instructions, j’aurais dénitrifié la solution correctement. (If I had followed the instructions, I would have denitrified the solution correctly.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dénitrifiasse Si je dénitrifiasse plus souvent, je polluerais moins. If I denitrified more often, I would pollute less.
tu dénitrifiasses Si tu dénitrifiais moins, tu serais plus écologique. If you denitrified less, you would be more environmentally friendly.
il dénitrifiât Il serait content si il dénitrifiât son jardin. He would be happy if he denitrified his garden.
elle dénitrifiât Elle serait surprise si elle dénitrifiât son champ. She would be surprised if she denitrified her field.
on dénitrifiât Si on dénitrifiât toute la ville, l’air serait plus propre. If one denitrified the whole city, the air would be cleaner.
nous dénitrifiassions Si nous dénitrifiassions ensemble, nous serions plus efficaces. If we denitrified together, we would be more effective.
vous dénitrifiassiez Si vous dénitrifiassiez plus souvent, vous feriez un geste pour l’environnement. If you denitrified more often, you would make a gesture for the environment.
ils dénitrifiassent S’ils dénitrifiassent leur ferme, ils protégeraient l’eau. If they denitrified their farm, they would protect the water.
elles dénitrifiassent Si elles dénitrifiassent leur jardin, elles auraient des légumes plus sains. If they denitrified their garden, they would have healthier vegetables.

Other Conjugations for Dénitrifier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dénitrifier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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