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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dérider

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The English translation of the French verb dérider is “to make someone smile or laugh.” It is pronounced “day-ree-day.”

The word dérider comes from the prefix “dé-” which means “to undo” and the word “ride” meaning “wrinkle.” So, dérider literally means “to undo wrinkles” or “to smooth out.”

In everyday French, dérider is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a form of the subjunctive mood used to express doubts, wishes, or hypothetical situations in the past.

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

  1. Je souhaitais que tu te dérides un peu. (I wished for you to smile a little.)

  2. Il fallait que nous déridions l’atmosphère. (We needed to lighten the mood.)

  3. Elle préférait que je la déride avec mes blagues. (She preferred for me to make her laugh with my jokes.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déridasse Si j’étais triste, je déridasse. If I were sad, I would smile.
tu déridasses Si tu avais vu ce film, tu déridasses. If you had seen this movie, you would have laughed.
il déridât Il faudrait qu’il déridât pour paraître plus heureux. He should smile to appear happier.
elle déridât Elle serait plus agréable si elle déridât plus souvent. She would be more pleasant if she smiled more often.
on déridât Il serait plus facile de faire avec si on déridât. It would be easier to deal with if one smiled.
nous déridassions Nous serions plus détendus si nous déridassions plus. We would be more relaxed if we smiled more.
vous déridassiez Si vous déridassiez plus souvent, vous auriez l’air plus sympathique. If you smiled more often, you would seem nicer.
ils déridassent Ils profiteraient plus de la vie s’ils déridassent plus. They would enjoy life more if they smiled more.
elles déridassent Si elles se déridassent, elles paraîtraient plus jeunes. If they smiled, they would seem younger.

Other Conjugations for Dérider.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dérider
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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