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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépoussiérer

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The English translation of the French verb dépoussiérer is “to dust off” or “to remove dust.” It is pronounced as “day-poo-see-ay-ray.”

Dépoussiérer comes from the combination of the prefix “dé” meaning “to remove” and the word “poussière” meaning “dust.” 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.

Examples of dépoussiérer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense include:

  1. Si j’avais su que tu venais, j’aurais dépoussiéré ta chambre. (If I had known you were coming, I would have dusted off your room.)
  2. Il fallait que je dépoussière le grenier avant que les invités arrivent. (I had to dust off the attic before the guests arrived.)
  3. Nous aurions dépoussiéré les meubles si nous avions eu plus de temps. (We would have dusted off the furniture if we had more time.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dépoussiérasse Si j’avais le temps, je dépoussiérasse la maison. If I had the time, I would dust the house.
tu dépoussiérasses Si tu prenais une pause, tu dépoussiérasses tes étagères. If you took a break, you would dust your shelves.
il dépoussiérât Il serait plus facile de respirer si il dépoussiérât la pièce. It would be easier to breathe if he dusted the room.
elle dépoussiérât Elle serait heureuse si elle dépoussiérât ses souvenirs. She would be happy if she dusted her memories.
on dépoussiérât Si on dépoussiérât tous les jours, on n’aurait pas de allergies. If one dusted every day, one wouldn’t have allergies.
nous dépoussiérassions Si nous dépoussiérassions ensemble, ça irait plus vite. If we dusted together, it would go faster.
vous dépoussiérassiez Si vous dépoussiérassiez régulièrement, vous n’auriez pas autant de poussière. If you dusted regularly, you wouldn’t have as much dust.
ils dépoussiérassent S’ils dépoussiérassent avant l’arrivée des invités, la maison serait propre. If they dusted before the guests arrived, the house would be clean.
elles dépoussiérassent Si elles dépoussiérassent leur grenier, elles trouveraient des trésors. If they dusted their attic, they would find treasures.

Other Conjugations for Dépoussiérer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépoussiérer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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