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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désaltérer

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The English translation of the French verb désaltérer is “to quench one’s thirst” or “to refresh”. It is pronounced as “day-zal-teh-ray”.

The language origin of désaltérer comes from the prefix “dés-” meaning “to undo” and the word “altérer” meaning “to alter or change”. Together, they form the verb désaltérer which literally means “to undo a change in one’s thirst” or “to unalter one’s thirst”.

In everyday French, désaltérer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is commonly used in formal or polite speech.

3 simple examples of désaltérer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je me désaltère avant de continuer à marcher sous le soleil brûlant. (It was necessary for me to quench my thirst before continuing to walk under the scorching sun.)
  2. Je souhaitais que tu te désaltères avec une boisson fraîche. (I wished for you to refresh yourself with a cold drink.)
  3. Il était important que nous nous désaltérions après notre séance d’entraînement. (It was important for us to quench our thirst after our training session.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désaltérasse Je préférerais que je désaltérasse moins souvent. I wish I didn’t have to quench my thirst so often.
tu désaltérasses Tu serais plus en forme si tu désaltérasses plus. You would be more energetic if you quenched your thirst more.
il désaltérât Il serait plus gentil s’il désaltérât les autres aussi. He would be nicer if he quenched others’ thirst as well.
elle désaltérât Elle serait plus heureuse si elle désaltérât plus souvent. She would be happier if she quenched her thirst more often.
on désaltérât Si on désaltérât moins souvent, on économiserait de l’eau. If one didn’t quench their thirst so often, one would save water.
nous désaltérassions Nous serions plus économes si nous désaltérassions ensemble. We would be more frugal if we quenched our thirst together.
vous désaltérassiez Si vous désaltérassiez moins, vous dormiriez mieux. If you quenched your thirst less, you would sleep better.
ils désaltérassent Ils seraient moins assoiffés s’ils désaltérassent plus souvent. They would be less thirsty if they quenched their thirst more often.
elles désaltérassent Si elles désaltérassent plus souvent, elles seraient en meilleure santé. If they quenched their thirst more often, they would be healthier.

Other Conjugations for Désaltérer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaltérer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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