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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dérouter

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of dérouter. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb dérouter is “to divert” or “to redirect.” It is pronounced as “day-roo-tay.”

The word dérouter comes from the French prefix “dé-” which means “to undo” or “to remove,” and the root word “route” meaning “route” or “path.” In everyday French, dérouter is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three examples of dérouter in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Si je pouvais, je te dérouterais vers un chemin plus court. (If I could, I would redirect you towards a shorter path.)
  2. Il fallait que nous déroutions le trafic pour réparer la route. (We had to divert the traffic to repair the road.)
  3. Je souhaitais que tu déroutes le bateau vers le port le plus proche. (I wished for you to divert the boat towards the nearest port.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déroutasse Je ne serais pas là si je me déroutasse facilement. I wouldn’t be here if I was easily thrown off track.
tu déroutasses Si tu t’organisais mieux, tu déroutasses moins souvent. If you were more organized, you wouldn’t get sidetracked as often.
il déroutât S’il avait plus d’expérience, il déroutât moins. If he had more experience, he wouldn’t get thrown off course as often.
elle déroutât Elle serait plus calme si elle déroutât moins. She would be calmer if she didn’t get sidetracked as often.
on déroutât Si on déroutât moins, on arriverait à destination plus vite. If one didn’t get sidetracked, one would arrive at the destination more quickly.
nous déroutassions Si nous déroutassions plus souvent, on apprendrait de nouvelles choses. If we got sidetracked more often, we would learn new things.
vous déroutassiez Si vous vous concentrassiez, vous ne déroutassiez pas si facilement. If you focused, you wouldn’t get sidetracked so easily.
ils déroutassent S’ils déroutassent moins souvent, ils économiseraient du temps. If they didn’t get sidetracked as often, they would save time.
elles déroutassent Si elles déroutassent plus souvent, elles arriveraient plus tard. If they got sidetracked more often, they would arrive later.

Other Conjugations for Dérouter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dérouter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the dérouter Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts