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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désargenter

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The English translation of désargenter is “to de-gild” or “to remove silver plating.” The infinitive form is pronounced as day-zar-zhan-tay.

Désargenter comes from the French words “dés” meaning “des-” and “argent” meaning “silver.” It is most often used in the context of removing silver plating from an object, either to restore it to its original state or to reveal the base metal beneath.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, désargenter is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is formed by combining the subjunctive mood of the auxiliary verb avoir or être with the past participle of désargenter.

  1. Je craignais que tu ne désargentasses la théière en frottant trop fort. (I was afraid that you would de-gild the teapot by rubbing too hard.)
  2. Elle souhaitait que nous désargentassions les couverts pour leur donner un aspect plus ancien. (She wished that we would de-gild the cutlery to give them a more antique look.)
  3. Il fallait que j’essaie de désargenter le vase en argent pour voir s’il était en argent massif ou plaqué. (I had to try to de-gild the silver vase to see if it was solid silver or plated.)

Possible English translations of these sentences could be:

  1. I feared that you would remove the silver plating from the teapot by rubbing too hard.
  2. She wanted us to de-gild the cutlery to give them a more vintage appearance.
  3. I had to try to de-gild the silver vase to see if it was solid silver or plated.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désargentasse Si j’étais riche, je désargentasse mes bijoux. If I were rich, I would get my jewelry silvered.
tu désargentasses Si tu avais plus d’argent, tu désargentasses tes objets. If you had more money, you would silver your objects.
il désargentât Il serait heureux si il désargentât ses vieux couverts. He would be happy if he silvered his old cutlery.
elle désargentât Elle serait contente si elle désargentât sa théière. She would be happy if she silvered her tea pot.
on désargentât Si on désargentât la vaisselle, elle brillerait. If one silvered the dishes, they would shine.
nous désargentassions Si nous désargentassions tous les objets, ils seraient plus beaux. If we silvered all the objects, they would be more beautiful.
vous désargentassiez Si vous désargentassiez vos ornements, ils se terniraient moins. If you silvered your decorations, they would tarnish less.
ils désargentassent S’ils désargentassent leurs accessoires, ils seraient plus élégants. If they silvered their accessories, they would be more elegant.
elles désargentassent Si elles désargentassent leurs bijoux, ils brilleraient davantage. If they silvered their jewelry, they would shine more.

Other Conjugations for Désargenter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désargenter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Désargenter – 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.

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