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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désavantager

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of désavantager. 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 désavantager is “to disadvantage” and it is pronounced as “day-zah-vahn-tah-zhay” in the infinitive form.

The word désavantager comes from the French prefix “dés-” meaning “to remove or undo” and the verb “avantager” meaning “to advantage.” It is most often used in everyday French in the subjonctif imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three simple examples of désavantager in the subjonctif imparfait tense are:

  1. Il était important que je ne le désavantage pas dans ses projets. (It was important for me not to disadvantage him in his projects.)

  2. Nous aurions été surpris s’il avait été désavantagé par ses compétiteurs. (We would have been surprised if he had been disadvantaged by his competitors.)

  3. Je doutais qu’elle ait désavantagé ses enfants en les éduquant ainsi. (I doubted that she had disadvantaged her children by educating them like this.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désavantageasse Je serais désavantageasse si je n’avais pas étudié. I would be at a disadvantage if I hadn’t studied.
tu désavantageasses Tu serais désavantageasses si tu n’avais pas travaillé dur. You would be at a disadvantage if you hadn’t worked hard.
il désavantageât Il se sentirait désavantageât si il avait un handicap. He would feel at a disadvantage if he had a handicap.
elle désavantageât Elle se sentirait désavantageât si elle n’était pas bien préparée. She would feel at a disadvantage if she wasn’t well prepared.
on désavantageât On serait désavantageât si on ne parlait pas la langue. One would be at a disadvantage if one didn’t speak the language.
nous désavantagions Nous serions désavantagions si nous ne faisions pas attention. We would be at a disadvantage if we weren’t careful.
vous désavantagiez Vous seriez désavantagiez si vous n’écoutiez pas les conseils. You would be at a disadvantage if you didn’t listen to the advice.
ils désavantageassent Ils auraient plus de difficultés s’ils désavantageassent les autres. They would have more difficulties if they disadvantaged others.
elles désavantageassent Elles ne réussiraient pas si elles désavantageassent les hommes. They would not succeed if they disadvantaged men.

Other Conjugations for Désavantager.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désavantager
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 désavantager Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts