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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déroger

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The English translation of the French verb déroger is “to deviate or depart from.” It is pronounced “day-roh-zhay.”

Déroger comes from the Latin word derogare, meaning “to annul or repeal.” It is most often used in everyday French to express a departure or deviation from a rule, tradition, or norm. In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, déroger is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three examples of déroger in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

1) Il fallait que je déroge à ma promesse. (I had to break my promise.)
2) Nous aurions dérogé à la tradition si nous avions accepté l’invitation. (We would have deviated from tradition if we had accepted the invitation.)
3) J’étais surprise qu’il déroge à ses principes si facilement. (I was surprised that he was deviating from his principles so easily.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dérogeasse Si j’étais plus flexible, je dérogeasse moins souvent. If I were more flexible, I would deviate less often.
tu dérogeasses Si tu dérogeasses à tes principes, tu regretterais. If you deviated from your principles, you would regret it.
il dérogeât Il serait en colère si il dérogeât à sa parole. He would be angry if he broke his word.
elle dérogeât Elle serait déçue si elle dérogeât à son engagement. She would be disappointed if she broke her commitment.
on dérogeât Si on dérogeât au protocole, on ferait face à des conséquences. If one deviated from the protocol, one would face consequences.
nous dérogassions Si nous dérogassions à la règle, ça créerait des problèmes. If we deviated from the rule, it would create problems.
vous dérogassiez Si vous dérogassiez à la tradition, ça serait mal vu. If you deviated from tradition, it would be frowned upon.
ils dérogassent S’ils dérogassent à l’accord, ça affecterait la relation. If they deviated from the agreement, it would affect the relationship.
elles dérogassent Si elles dérogassent à l’habitude, ça causerait du chaos. If they deviated from the habit, it would cause chaos.

Other Conjugations for Déroger.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déroger
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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