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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépriser

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The English translation of the French verb dépriser is “to despise” or “to look down on”. It is pronounced as “dehp-ree-zay” in the infinitive form.

The word “dépriser” comes from the Old French word “despriser” which means “to despise”. It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples of dépriser in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. J’aimerais que tu ne me déprises pas. (I would like for you to not despise me.)
  2. Il fallait qu’elle ne déprisât personne. (She had to not despise anyone.)
  3. Nous aurions aimé qu’ils ne déprisassent pas notre travail. (We would have liked for them to not despise our work.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déprisasse Si j’étais riche, je déprisasse les choses matérielles. If I were rich, I would despise material things.
tu déprisasses Si tu avais plus de temps, tu déprisasses ces tâches. If you had more time, you would despise these tasks.
il déprisât Il serait plus heureux si il déprisât l’argent. He would be happier if he despised money.
elle déprisât Elle serait plus libre si elle déprisât la mode. She would be freer if she despised fashion.
on déprisât Si on déprisât la vanité, on serait plus humble. If one despised vanity, one would be more humble.
nous déprisassions Si nous déprisassions ces idées, nous serions plus tolérants. If we despised these ideas, we would be more tolerant.
vous déprisassiez Si vous déprisassiez ces opinions, vous seriez plus ouverts. If you despised these opinions, you would be more open-minded.
ils déprisassent S’ils déprisassent ces croyances, ils seraient plus critiques. If they despised these beliefs, they would be more critical.
elles déprisassent Si elles déprisassent ces règles, elles seraient plus rebelles. If they despised these rules, they would be more rebellious.

Other Conjugations for Dépriser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépriser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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