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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désamarrer

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of désamarrer. 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 désamarrer is “to untie” or “to unmoor.” The infinitive form, désamarrer, is pronounced as “day-za-ma-reh.”

The word désamarrer comes from the prefix dés-, which is a variation of the Latin prefix dis-, meaning “apart” or “un-,” and the verb amarrer, which means “to tie” or “to moor.” As a result, désamarrer literally means “to untie from a mooring.”

In everyday French, désamarrer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used with the conjunction “que” to introduce a dependent clause.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu désamarrasses le bateau avant la tempête. (I wished that you would unmoor the boat before the storm.)

  2. Il fallait que nous désamarrassions les cordes avant de partir. (We had to untie the ropes before leaving.)

  3. Elle aurait préféré que vous désamarrassiez les amarres avec plus de précaution. (She would have preferred that you untied the lines more carefully.)

English translations have been provided for each example, but it is worth noting that the Subjonctif Imparfait tense does not have a direct equivalent in English. It is typically translated using the auxiliary verb “would” or “should” to convey the hypothetical or uncertain nature of the action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désamarrasses Si je n’avais pas peur, je désamarrasses le bateau. If I wasn’t afraid, I would untie the boat.
tu désamarrasses Si tu m’aidais, tu désamarrasses le bateau. If you helped me, you would untie the boat.
il désamarrât Il faudrait qu’il désamarrât le bateau avant de partir. He would have to untie the boat before leaving.
elle désamarrât Elle serait en retard si elle désamarrât maintenant. She would be late if she untied now.
on désamarrât Il faudrait qu’on désamarrât ensemble. We would have to untie together.
nous désamarrassions Si nous désamarrassions tôt, nous arriverions à temps. If we untied early, we would arrive on time.
vous désamarrassiez Si vous désamarrassiez le bateau, nous pourrions partir. If you untied the boat, we could leave.
ils désamarrassent S’ils désamarrassent rapidement, nous pourrions y aller. If they untied quickly, we could go.
elles désamarrassent Si elles désamarrassent le bateau, il n’y aurait plus d’attente. If they untied the boat, there would be no more waiting.

Other Conjugations for Désamarrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désamarrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 désamarrer Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts