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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désaffecter

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of désaffecter. 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 désaffecter is “to decommission” or “to deactivate.” It is pronounced as day-zah-fek-tey.

The word désaffecter is derived from the French prefix dés- which means “to undo” or “to remove” and the word affecter which means “to assign” or “to allocate.” Together, they form the verb désaffecter, which refers to the action of removing or deactivating something that was previously assigned or allocated.

In everyday French, désaffecter is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense. This tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. In this sense, désaffecter is used to describe an action that may have happened in the past, but the outcome was uncertain or hypothetical.

Here are three simple examples of désaffecter used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. J’aurais préféré que le gouvernement désaffecte cette centrale nucléaire. (I would have preferred the government to decommission this nuclear power plant.)
  2. Il fallait que nous désaffections cette ancienne usine pour des raisons de sécurité. (We had to deactivate this old factory for safety reasons.)
  3. Je ne pense pas que le maire ait pris la décision de désaffecter l’école. (I don’t think the mayor made the decision to decommission the school.)

In these examples, the verb désaffecter is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It indicates that the action of decommissioning or deactivating something was not certain, but it could have happened.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désaffectasse Je ne ferais rien si je désaffectasse le bâtiment. I wouldn’t do anything if I decommissioned the building.
tu désaffectasses Si tu étais le propriétaire, tu désaffectasses la propriété. If you were the owner, you would decommission the property.
il désaffectât Si il désaffectât le lieu, il pourrait y avoir des problèmes. If he decommissioned the place, there could be problems.
elle désaffectât Elle serait en colère si elle désaffectât le site. She would be angry if she decommissioned the site.
on désaffectât Si on désaffectât le terrain, on pourrait construire une nouvelle maison. If one decommissioned the land, one could build a new house.
nous désaffectassions Si nous désaffectassions la zone, nous pourrions la nettoyer. If we decommissioned the area, we could clean it up.
vous désaffectassiez Si vous désaffectassiez, vous ne seriez pas si stressé. If you decommissioned, you wouldn’t be so stressed.
ils désaffectassent S’ils désaffectassent l’usine, ils devraient chercher un autre emploi. If they decommissioned the factory, they would have to look for another job.
elles désaffectassent Si elles désaffectassent le bâtiment, elles pourraient le rénover. If they decommissioned the building, they could renovate it.

Other Conjugations for Désaffecter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaffecter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 désaffecter Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts