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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désavouer

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The English translation of the French verb désavouer is “to disavow” or “to disown.” It is pronounced [day-zah-voo-ay].

Désavouer comes from the Old French word “desavouer” which comes from the Latin words “dis-” meaning “against” and “ad-” meaning “to” combined with the word “vocare” meaning “to call.” In everyday French, désavouer is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express doubt, uncertainty, or a hypothetical situation.

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que je désavoue ses paroles. (I had to disavow his words.)
  2. Je ne crois pas qu’elle désavouât sa famille. (I don’t believe she would disown her family.)
  3. Nous aurions préféré qu’ils désavouassent cette idée. (We would have preferred if they had disavowed this idea.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désavouasse Si j’avais tort, je désavouasse mon opinion. If I were wrong, I would disavow my opinion.
tu désavouasses Si tu me désavouasses, je serais blessé. If you disavowed me, I would be hurt.
il désavouât Il serait surpris si il désavouât sa propre famille. He would be surprised if he disavowed his own family.
elle désavouât Elle serait déçue si elle désavouât ses amis. She would be disappointed if she disavowed her friends.
on désavouât Si on désavouât cette décision, on risquerait de perdre. If one disavowed this decision, one would risk losing.
nous désavouassions Si nous désavouassions ces actions, on nous accuserait. If we disavowed these actions, we would be accused.
vous désavouassiez Si vous désavouassiez vos paroles, vous perdriez du crédit. If you disavowed your words, you would lose credibility.
ils désavouassent S’ils désavouassent cette personne, ils se retrouveraient seuls. If they disavowed this person, they would be alone.
elles désavouassent Si elles désavouassent cette idée, elles se mettraient en danger. If they disavowed this idea, they would put themselves in danger.

Other Conjugations for Désavouer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désavouer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Désavouer – 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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