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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désappointer

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The English translation of the French verb désappointer is “to disappoint.” It is pronounced as “day-zah-pwahn-tee.”

Désappointer comes from the French prefix dés- which means “dis-” or “un-,” and the word appointer which means “to assign” or “to appoint.” It is most often used in everyday French to express a feeling of disappointment or letdown.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, désappointer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the subjunctive conjunction “que.”

Example 1: J’étais déçu que tu désappointes tes parents. (I was disappointed that you disappointed your parents.)
Example 2: Il fallait que nous désappointions nos fans en annulant le concert. (We had to disappoint our fans by canceling the concert.)
Example 3: Elle était triste que son équipe désappointe encore une fois. (She was sad that her team disappointed once again.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désappointasse J’étais déçu que je désappointasse mes parents. I was disappointed that I disappointed my parents.
tu désappointasses Si tu avais plus de chance, tu désappointasses moins. If you had more luck, you would disappoint less.
il désappointât Il serait triste si il désappointât sa famille. He would be sad if he disappointed his family.
elle désappointât Elle serait contente si elle désappointât ses professeurs. She would be happy if she disappointed her teachers.
on désappointât Si on désappointât moins, on serait plus heureux. If one disappointed less, one would be happier.
nous désappointassions Si nous ne désappointassions pas nos amis, nous aurions plus de relations. If we didn’t disappoint our friends, we would have more relationships.
vous désappointassiez Si vous désappointassiez moins, vous seriez plus respectueux. If you disappointed less, you would be more respectful.
ils désappointassent S’ils désappointassent leurs employés, ils perdraient leur confiance. If they disappointed their employees, they would lose their trust.
elles désappointassent Si elles désappointassent leurs camarades, elles auraient du mal à se faire des amis. If they disappointed their peers, they would have a hard time making friends.

Other Conjugations for Désappointer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désappointer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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