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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépêcher

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The English translation of the French verb dépêcher is “to hurry” or “to dispatch.” It is pronounced as “day-peh-shay.”

The word dépêcher comes from the Old French word “despechier,” which is derived from the Latin word “displicare,” meaning “to unfold” or “to unfold quickly.” In everyday French, dépêcher is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je me dépêche pour ne pas manquer mon train. (I had to hurry so I wouldn’t miss my train.)
  2. Nous espérions que vous vous dépêchiez pour arriver à temps. (We were hoping you would hurry to arrive on time.)
  3. Elle craignait que je ne me dépêchasse pas assez pour finir le projet à temps. (She was afraid that I wasn’t hurrying enough to finish the project on time.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dépêchasse Je te conseille de ne pas tarder avant que je ne dépêchasse. I advise you not to delay before I would hurry.
tu dépêchasses Il serait temps que tu dépêchasses. It’s time for you to hurry.
il dépêchât Il serait ravi si il dépêchât son travail. He would be delighted if he hurried his work.
elle dépêchât Elle serait fière si elle dépêchât sa tâche. She would be proud if she hurried her task.
on dépêchât Il vaut mieux qu’on dépêchât avant la tombée de la nuit. It’s better to hurry before nightfall.
nous dépêchassions Nous ferions mieux de dépêchassions avant qu’il ne soit trop tard. We’d better hurry before it’s too late.
vous dépêchassiez Il serait préférable que vous dépêchassiez pour être à l’heure. It would be preferable for you to hurry to be on time.
ils dépêchassent Ils seraient plus efficaces s’ils dépêchassent leur travail. They would be more efficient if they hurried their work.
elles dépêchassent Elles seraient plus sereines si elles dépêchassent cette tâche. They would be more serene if they hurried this task.

Other Conjugations for Dépêcher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépêcher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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