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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déphosphater

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The English translation of the French verb déphosphater is “to dephosphatize.” It is pronounced as “dey-foh-soh-fa-tey.”

The word déphosphater is derived from the French prefix “dé-“, meaning “to remove,” and the word “phosphate,” meaning a chemical compound containing phosphorus. Therefore, déphosphater literally means “to remove phosphates.”

In everyday French, déphosphater is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense. This tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of déphosphater in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je déphosphatasse l’eau avant de la boire. (I had to dephosphatize the water before drinking it.)
  2. Nous voulions que tu déphosphatasses le sol pour le rendre plus fertile. (We wanted you to dephosphatize the soil to make it more fertile.)
  3. Si j’avais suivi tes conseils, j’aurais déphosphaté les canalisations plus tôt. (If I had followed your advice, I would have dephosphatized the pipes earlier.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déphosphatasse Si je n’avais pas déphosphatasse autant, j’aurais été puni. If I had not dephosphated so much, I would have been punished.
tu déphosphatasses Si tu ne déphosphatasses pas assez, tu aurais été réprimandé. If you did not dephosphated enough, you would have been reprimanded.
il déphosphatât Il se pourrait que il déphosphatât toutes les semaines. It could be that he dephosphated every week.
elle déphosphatât Elle ne serait pas contente si elle déphosphatât tout le temps. She would not be happy if she dephosphated all the time.
on déphosphatât Si on déphosphatât plus régulièrement, on aurait moins de problèmes. If one dephosphated more regularly, one would have less problems.
nous déphosphatassions Si nous déphosphatassions ensemble, nous aurions plus de résultats. If we dephosphated together, we would have more results.
vous déphosphatassiez Si vous déphosphatassiez plus efficacement, vous seriez félicité. If you dephosphated more effectively, you would be praised.
ils déphosphatassent S’ils déphosphatassent moins souvent, ils auraient moins de soucis. If they dephosphated less often, they would have fewer worries.
elles déphosphatassent Si elles déphosphatassent plus tôt, elles seraient plus relaxées. If they dephosphated earlier, they would be more relaxed.

Other Conjugations for Déphosphater.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déphosphater
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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