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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb départager

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The English translation of the French verb départager is “to decide between/to settle.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-par-ta-zhay.”

“Departager” comes from the Old French word “departager,” which is a combination of the words “de” (meaning “apart”) and “partager” (meaning “to share”). It was originally used in the context of dividing something between two or more parties. In modern French, it is most often used in the context of making a decision or settling a dispute.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, départager is used to express a hypothetical situation or a wish. It is often used after constructions such as “il faut que” (it is necessary that) or “je souhaite que” (I wish that).

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que je départage entre mes deux meilleurs amis. (I needed to decide between my two best friends.)
  2. Je souhaitais que tu départages la dispute entre tes frères. (I wished that you would settle the dispute between your brothers.)
  3. Il était nécessaire que nous départagions les deux candidats pour le poste. (It was necessary for us to decide between the two candidates for the position.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je départageasse Si j’avais le pouvoir, je départageasse avec justice. If I had the power, I would fairly decide.
tu départageasses Si tu étais un juge, tu départageasses les cas difficiles. If you were a judge, you would decide difficult cases.
il départageât Il serait impartial s’il départageât les conflits. He would be impartial if he decided conflicts.
elle départageât Elle serait juste si elle départageât les différends. She would be fair if she decided disputes.
on départageât Si on départageât les jeux, les vainqueurs seraient clairs. If one decided the games, the winners would be clear.
nous départageassions Si nous départageassions les équipes, nous éviterions les conflits. If we decided the teams, we would avoid conflicts.
vous départageassiez Si vous départageassiez les disputes, vous seriez des médiateurs. If you decided disputes, you would be mediators.
ils départageassent S’ils départageassent les cas de fraude, la justice serait rendue. If they decided fraud cases, justice would be served.
elles départageassent Si elles départageassent les différends, les parties seraient satisfaites. If they decided disputes, the parties would be satisfied.

Other Conjugations for Départager.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb départager
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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