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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désembourber

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The English translation of the French verb désembourber is “to unstuck” or “to unblock”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-somb-oor-bay.”

The origin of the word désembourber can be broken down into two parts: “dé-” which is a prefix meaning “un-” or “de-“, and “embourber” which comes from the French word “bourbe” meaning mud or sludge. Therefore, désembourber literally means to remove oneself from mud or to get out of a sticky situation.

In everyday French, désembourber is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples:

  1. Si j’avais su que tu étais en difficulté, je t’aurais désembourbé. (If I had known you were in trouble, I would have unstuck you.)
  2. Il fallait que nous désembourbions le camion avant qu’il ne pleuve. (We had to unblock the truck before it started raining.)
  3. Je souhaitais que tu désembourbes la voiture avant que je rentre à la maison. (I wished you would unblock the car before I got home.)

In all these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a condition or a wish in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the conditional or the past conditional tense to show a desired outcome or a hypothetical situation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désembourbasse J’aurais réussi si je désembourbasse la voiture. I would have succeeded if I unstuck the car.
tu désembourbasses Si tu n’étais pas tombé, tu désembourbasses le vélo. If you hadn’t fallen, you would have unstuck the bike.
il désembourbât Il serait plus rapide si il désembourbât la voiture. He would be faster if he unstuck the car.
elle désembourbât Elle serait moins fatiguée si elle désembourbât plus vite. She would be less tired if she unstuck faster.
on désembourbât Si on désembourbât tous ensemble, ça irait plus vite. If we all unstuck together, it would go faster.
nous désembourbassions Si nous désembourbassions la voiture, nous irions à la plage. If we unstuck the car, we would go to the beach.
vous désembourbassiez Si vous désembourbassiez plus fort, ça marcherait mieux. If you unstuck harder, it would work better.
ils désembourbassent S’ils désembourbassent la voiture, on pourrait partir. If they unstuck the car, we could leave.
elles désembourbassent Si elles désembourbassent ensemble, ça irait plus vite. If they unstuck together, it would go faster.

Other Conjugations for Désembourber.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désembourber
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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