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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépaver

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The English translation of dépaver is “to remove pavement” or “to dig up pavement.” It is pronounced as “day-pah-vay.”

The word dépaver comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “to remove” or “un-“) and the verb “paver” (meaning “to pave”). It is a relatively modern word in French, with its first recorded usage in the early 20th century.

In everyday French, dépaver is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a wish or desire in the past. It can also be used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Il fallait que nous dépavions la rue pour installer de nouvelles conduites d’eau. (We had to dig up the street to install new water pipes.)
  2. J’aurais aimé que tu dépavasses la cour pour faire un jardin. (I wish you had removed the pavement in the courtyard to make a garden.)
  3. Si j’avais su que tu étais allergique aux pavés, je n’aurais pas dépavé cette partie de la cour. (If I had known you were allergic to cobblestones, I wouldn’t have dug up this part of the courtyard.)

In English, these sentences would be translated as follows:

  1. We had to dig up the street to install new water pipes.
  2. I wish you had removed the pavement in the courtyard to make a garden.
  3. If I had known you were allergic to cobblestones, I wouldn’t have dug up this part of the courtyard.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déparvasse Si j’avais le temps, je déparvasse la cour. If I had the time, I would remove the pavement in the courtyard.
tu déparvasses Si tu te déparvasses, ça irait plus vite. If you removed the pavement, it would go faster.
il déparvât Il serait plus facile si il déparvât avant la pluie. It would be easier if he removed the pavement before the rain.
elle déparvât Elle serait contente si elle déparvât tout en une journée. She would be happy if she removed all the pavement in one day.
on déparvât Si on déparvât, on pourrait mettre des plantes. If one removed the pavement, one could put plants.
nous déparvassions Si nous déparvassions ensemble, ça serait plus amusant. If we removed the pavement together, it would be more fun.
vous déparvassiez Si vous déparvassiez avec des amis, ça serait moins pénible. If you removed the pavement with friends, it would be less painful.
ils déparvassent S’ils déparvassent la rue, ça serait plus beau. If they removed the pavement on the street, it would be more beautiful.
elles déparvassent Si elles déparvassent proprement, ça serait plus agréable. If they removed the pavement neatly, it would be more enjoyable.

Other Conjugations for Dépaver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépaver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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