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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépoudrer

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The English translation of the French verb dépoudrer is “to dust off.” It is pronounced as “dey-poo-dreh.” The word dépoudrer comes from the combination of the prefix “de-” which means “to remove” and the word “poudre” which means “dust.” It is most often used in everyday French to talk about the action of removing dust or dirt from an object.

In the subjonctif imparfait tense, dépoudrer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the conditional tense to express a desired outcome.

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que je dépoudrasse mes vieux livres avant de les vendre. (I had to dust off my old books before selling them.)
  2. Je souhaitais que tu dépoudrasses les meubles avant que les invités arrivent. (I wished that you would dust off the furniture before the guests arrive.)
  3. Elle aurait préféré que nous dépoudrassions la voiture avant de la prêter à son ami. (She would have preferred that we dust off the car before lending it to her friend.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dépourdusse Je mettrais une heure si je dépourdusse toutes les étagères. It would take me an hour if I dusted all the shelves.
tu dépourdusses Si tu dépoudrisses ta voiture, elle brillerait comme neuve. If you dusted your car, it would shine like new.
il dépourdût Il serait plus facile si il dépourdût ses vêtements avant de les laver. It would be easier if he dusted his clothes before washing them.
elle dépourdût Elle se sentirait mieux si elle dépourdût sa chambre. She would feel better if she dusted her room.
on dépourdût Si on dépourdût tous les jours, on n’aurait pas de problèmes d’allergies. If one dusted every day, there would be no allergy problems.
nous dépourdussions Si nous dépourdussions ensemble, ça serait moins de travail. If we dusted together, it would be less work.
vous dépourdussiez Si vous dépourdussiez plus souvent, la poussière s’accumulerait moins. If you dusted more often, the dust would accumulate less.
ils dépourdussent S’ils dépourdussent après chaque repas, la table serait toujours propre. If they dusted after every meal, the table would always be clean.
elles dépourdussent Si elles dépourdussent leurs meubles, ils auraient l’air plus neufs. If they dusted their furniture, it would look newer.

Other Conjugations for Dépoudrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépoudrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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