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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déplacer

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The English translation of the French verb déplacer is “to move”. It is pronounced as “day-plass-ay” in the infinitive form.

The word déplacer comes from the Latin word “dis-” meaning “away, apart” and “locare” meaning “to place”. It entered the French language in the 14th century and was initially used in the sense of “to relocate”. Over time, its meaning evolved to include the idea of moving from one place to another.

In everyday French, déplacer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is formed by using the present tense of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the imperfect subjunctive form of the verb. In this tense, déplacer expresses a doubt or a wish for an action to take place in the past.

Three examples of déplacer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je me déplaçasse pour aller au travail. (I had to move to go to work.)
  2. Je souhaitais que tu te déplaçasses avec moi. (I wished for you to move with me.)
  3. Il était possible que nous nous déplaçassions en France pour les vacances. (It was possible for us to move to France for vacation.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déplacasse Si j’avais plus de temps, je déplacasse les meubles. If I had more time, I would move the furniture.
tu déplaçasses Si tu avais plus d’énergie, tu déplaçasses les objets. If you had more energy, you would move the objects.
il déplaçât Si il était plus fort, il déplaçât les gros meubles. If he were stronger, he would move the heavy furniture.
elle déplaçât Si elle avait plus de force, elle déplaçât les choses lourdes. If she had more strength, she would move heavy things.
on déplaçât Si on faisait une équipe, on déplaçât les meubles plus facilement. If we formed a team, we would move the furniture more easily.
nous déplaçassions Si nous avions une camionnette, nous déplaçassions les objets encombrants. If we had a van, we would move bulky objects.
vous déplaçassiez Si vous étiez plus nombreux, vous déplaçassiez plus de meubles. If there were more of you, you would move more furniture.
ils déplaçassent S’ils avaient plus d’aide, ils déplaçassent les meubles plus vite. If they had more help, they would move the furniture faster.
elles déplaçassent Si elles étaient plus organisées, elles déplaçassent les choses plus efficacement. If they were more organized, they would move things more efficiently.

Other Conjugations for Déplacer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déplacer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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