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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désamorcer

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of désamorcer. 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 désamorcer is “to defuse” or “to disarm.” It is pronounced as “day-zah-mor-say.”

The word désamorcer is derived from the prefix “dés-” meaning “to undo” or “to remove,” and the noun “amorce” meaning “fuse” or “detonation.” It can be used both intransitively and transitively, and it is most often used to refer to the action of preventing a potentially dangerous situation from occurring.

In everyday French, désamorcer is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is formed by using the present subjunctive of the auxiliary verb “être” or “avoir” followed by the past participle of désamorcer.

Here are three simple examples of désamorcer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Nous devions désamorcer la bombe avant qu’elle n’explose. (We had to defuse the bomb before it exploded.)

  2. Il fallait que tu désamorces la situation avant qu’elle ne dégénère. (You needed to defuse the situation before it got out of hand.)

  3. Les experts ont recommandé que nous désamorcions les tensions diplomatiques avant qu’elles ne conduisent à une guerre. (The experts recommended that we defuse the diplomatic tensions before they led to war.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désamorçasse Si j’étais en danger, je désamorçasse la situation. If I were in danger, I would defuse the situation.
tu désamorçasses Si tu désamorçasses plus souvent, tu serais plus sûr. If you defused more often, you would be safer.
il désamorçât Si il n’y avait pas de conflits, il désamorçât les tensions. If there were no conflicts, he would defuse tensions.
elle désamorçât Si elle était diplomate, elle désamorçât toutes les situations. If she were diplomatic, she would defuse any situation.
on désamorçât Si on désamorçât avant que ça explose, on éviterait le pire. If one defused before it explodes, one would avoid the worst.
nous désamorcions Si nous désamorcions ensemble, nous serions plus efficaces. If we defused together, we would be more effective.
vous désamorciez Si vous désamorciez les tensions, la paix serait maintenue. If you defused tensions, peace would be maintained.
ils désamorçassent Si ils désamorçassent tous les problèmes, tout irait mieux. If they defused all the problems, everything would be better.
elles désamorçassent Si elles désamorçassent la situation, elles seraient des héroïnes. If they defused the situation, they would be heroines.

Other Conjugations for Désamorcer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désamorcer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 désamorcer Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts