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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déprécier

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The English translation of the French verb déprécier is “to depreciate” or “to belittle”. The infinitive form is pronounced “day-pray-see-yay”.

The word déprécier comes from the Latin word “depretiare” which means “to lower the price of”. In everyday French, déprécier is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are 3 simple examples of déprécier used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je dépréciasse mon travail pour que mon patron me baisse mon salaire.
    (English translation: I had to belittle my work so that my boss would lower my salary.)

  2. Si tu n’avais pas déprécié tes compétences, tu aurais pu obtenir le poste.
    (English translation: If you hadn’t depreciated your skills, you could have gotten the job.)

  3. J’aurais préféré que vous ne dépréciassiez pas mon opinion devant tout le monde.
    (English translation: I would have preferred that you didn’t belittle my opinion in front of everyone.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dépréciasse Si j’étais riche, je dépréciasse moins le travail de mes employés. If I were rich, I would devalue my employees’ work less.
tu dépréciasses Si tu apprenais à apprécier les autres, tu dépréciasses moins toi-même. If you learned to appreciate others, you would devalue yourself less.
il dépréciât Il serait content si il dépréciât moins ses compétences. He would be happy if he devalued his skills less.
elle dépréciât Elle serait surprise si elle dépréciât moins son apparence. She would be surprised if she devalued her appearance less.
on dépréciât Si on dépréciât moins le travail des autres, on se ferait moins d’ennemis. If one devalued others’ work less, one would make fewer enemies.
nous dépréciassions Si nous dépréciassions moins nos collègues, l’ambiance serait meilleure. If we devalued our colleagues less, the atmosphere would be better.
vous dépréciassiez Si vous dépréciassiez moins votre travail, vous seriez plus heureux. If you devalued your work less, you would be happier.
ils dépréciassent S’ils dépréciassent moins leurs compétences, ils pourraient accomplir plus. If they devalued their skills less, they could accomplish more.
elles dépréciassent Si elles dépréciassent moins leur valeur, elles pourraient se sentir plus confiantes. If they devalued their worth less, they could feel more confident.

Other Conjugations for Déprécier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déprécier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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