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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépontiller

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The English translation of the French verb dépontiller is “to remove the spines”. It is pronounced as “day-pohn-tee-yay”.

Dépontiller comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-“, meaning “to remove”, and “pontille” which means “spine” or “thorn”. It is a regular -er verb and is mostly used in every day French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of dépontiller in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Si j’avais su, je dépontillerais les épines avant de toucher la plante. (If I had known, I would have removed the spines before touching the plant.)

  2. Il fallait que je dépontille les roses avant de les offrir à ma mère. (I had to remove the thorns before giving the roses to my mother.)

  3. J’aurais préféré que tu dépontilles les cactus avant de les mettre sur la table. (I would have preferred if you had removed the spines before putting the cacti on the table.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dépontillasse Si j’étais plus jeune, je dépontillasse plus souvent. If I were younger, I would go out more often.
tu dépontillasses Si tu avais plus d’argent, tu dépontillasses plus souvent. If you had more money, you would go out more often.
il dépontillât Il serait heureux si il dépontillât plus souvent. He would be happy if he went out more often.
elle dépontillât Elle serait fatiguée si elle dépontillât trop souvent. She would be tired if she went out too often.
on dépontillât Si on dépontillât plus tard, on devrait prendre un taxi. If one went out later, one would have to take a taxi.
nous dépontillassions Si nous dépontillassions en groupe, ça serait amusant. If we went out as a group, it would be fun.
vous dépontillassiez Si vous dépontillassiez plus, vous auriez plus d’énergie. If you went out more, you would have more energy.
ils dépontillassent S’ils dépontillassent moins, ils auraient plus de temps pour travailler. If they went out less, they would have more time to work.
elles dépontillassent Si elles dépontillassent ensemble, elles seraient plus bruyantes. If they went out together, they would be louder.

Other Conjugations for Dépontiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépontiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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