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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déposséder

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The English translation of the French verb déposséder is “to dispossess” or “to deprive”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “deh-poh-seh-deh”.

Déposséder comes from the Latin word “depossidere”, which means “to take away”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

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

  1. Si je dépossédais mes enfants de leur héritage, ils seraient très déçus. (If I were to dispossess my children of their inheritance, they would be very disappointed.)

  2. Il fallait que nous dépossédions le voleur de son butin avant qu’il ne s’échappe. (We had to deprive the thief of his loot before he could escape.)

  3. Je cherchais un moyen de déposséder mon ex-mari de sa garde partagée. (I was looking for a way to dispossess my ex-husband of joint custody.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dépossédasse Je serais triste si je dépossédasse mes amis. I would be sad if I dispossessed my friends.
tu dépossédasses Si tu dépossédasses tes voisins, tu serais mal vu. If you dispossessed your neighbors, you would be frowned upon.
il dépossédât Il pourrait perdre sa maison s’il dépossédât ses locataires. He could lose his house if he dispossessed his tenants.
elle dépossédât Elle n’aurait pas le cœur de dépossédât les pauvres. She would not have the heart to dispossess the poor.
on dépossédât Si on dépossédât les riches, ils crieraient à l’injustice. If one dispossessed the rich, they would cry injustice.
nous dépossédassions Si nous dépossédassions les puissants, le monde changerait. If we dispossessed the powerful, the world would change.
vous dépossédassiez Si vous dépossédassiez vos concurrents, vous auriez plus de succès. If you dispossessed your competitors, you would have more success.
ils dépossédassent S’ils dépossédassent leur adversaires, ils gagneraient la guerre. If they dispossessed their enemies, they would win the war.
elles dépossédassent Si elles dépossédassent les riches, elles seraient accusées de vol. If they dispossessed the rich, they would be accused of theft.

Other Conjugations for Déposséder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déposséder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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