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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dériveter

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The English translation of the French verb dériveter is “to detach” or “to unfasten.” It is pronounced as “day-ree-vuh-tay.”

The word dériveter is derived from the Latin word “derivare,” meaning “to turn aside” or “to divert.” It entered the French language in the 15th century and was originally used in the field of shipbuilding, referring to the process of removing a ship from the shore.

In everyday French, dériveter is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical action or a wish in the past. It is often used with verbs such as “espérer” (to hope), “vouloir” (to want), or “souhaiter” (to wish).

  1. J’espérais que tu dérivetas cette idée. (I hoped that you would detach from this idea.)

  2. Elle voulait que nous dérivetions notre bateau. (She wanted us to unfasten our boat.)

  3. Nous souhaitions que le navire se dérivetât du quai. (We wished for the ship to detach from the dock.)

  4. I hoped that you would detach from this idea.

  5. She wanted us to unfasten our boat.

  6. We wished for the ship to detach from the dock.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dérivetais Si j’avais le temps, je dérivetais tous les mots. If I had the time, I would derive all the words.
tu dérivotais Si tu aimerais les maths plus, tu dérivotais mieux. If you liked math more, you would derive better.
il dérivotait Si il apprenait plus de langues, il dérivotait plus de mots. If he learned more languages, he would derive more words.
elle dérivotait Si elle étudiait plus de sciences, elle dérivotait plus de termes. If she studied more sciences, she would derive more terms.
on dérivotait Si on utilisait plus de vocabulaire, on dérivotait plus de concepts. If one used more vocabulary, one would derive more concepts.
nous dérivotions Si nous comprenions plus de règles, nous dérivotions mieux. If we understood more rules, we would derive better.
vous dérivotiez Si vous pratiquiez plus, vous dérivotiez plus facilement. If you practiced more, you would derive more easily.
ils dérivotaient S’ils étudiaient plus, ils dérivotaient plus de formules. If they studied more, they would derive more formulas.
elles dérivotaient Si elles appliquaient plus de techniques, elles dérivotaient plus précisément. If they used more techniques, they would derive more accurately.

Other Conjugations for Dériveter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dériveter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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