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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déparler

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The English translation of the French verb déparler is “to speak ill of someone”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-par-lay”.

Déparler comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-“, which can mean “undo” or “reverse”, and the verb “parler”, meaning “to speak”. Therefore, déparler can be understood as “to undo one’s words” or “to speak negatively about someone”. It is typically used in spoken French and is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, déparler expresses a past action or intention to speak negatively about someone, and is often used in conditional or hypothetical statements. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Si j’avais su que tu déparlais de moi, je ne t’aurais jamais fait confiance. (If I had known that you were speaking ill of me, I would have never trusted you.)
  2. Il faut que tu arrêtes de déparler de tes collègues derrière leur dos. (You need to stop speaking ill of your colleagues behind their backs.)
  3. Nous craignions qu’il déparlât de nous à notre patron. (We were afraid that he would speak ill of us to our boss.)

In these examples, we can see that déparler is used to convey a negative action or intention to speak about someone. It is often used in situations where there is a potential for harm or betrayal, and is typically followed by the preposition “de” and the person being spoken about.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déparlasse J’aurais peur si je déparlasse trop. I would be scared if I spoke too much.
tu déparlasses Si tu déparlasses moins, tu te concentrerais mieux. If you spoke less, you would concentrate better.
il déparlât Naturellement, il déparlât car il n’aime pas parler. Naturally, he would not speak because he doesn’t like talking.
elle déparlât Elle se sentait seule si elle déparlât tout le temps. She felt lonely if she talked all the time.
on déparlât Si on déparlât moins, on aurait plus de temps pour travailler. If one talked less, one would have more time to work.
nous déparlassions Si nous déparlassions ensemble, nous nous amuserions. If we talked together, we would have fun.
vous déparlassiez Si vous déparlassiez davantage, vous exprimeriez mieux vos idées. If you talked more, you would express your ideas better.
ils déparlassent S’ils déparlassent plus souvent, ils se connaîtraient mieux. If they talked more often, they would know each other better.
elles déparlassent Si elles déparlassent moins, elles auraient moins de conflits. If they talked less, they would have less conflicts.

Other Conjugations for Déparler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déparler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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