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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désembuer

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The English translation of the French verb désembuer is “to defog” or “to demist.” It is pronounced as “day-zom-bu-ay” in its infinitive form.

Désembuer comes from the combination of the prefix “dés-” meaning “to undo” and the verb “embuer” meaning “to fog” or “to mist.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of removing fog or mist from a surface, typically a window or mirror.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, désembuer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Il fallait que je désembuasse le pare-brise avant de conduire. (It was necessary for me to defog the windshield before driving.)
  2. Elle avait peur que la vitre de la douche se désembuât pendant qu’elle se lavait les cheveux. (She was afraid that the shower glass would defog while she was washing her hair.)
  3. Nous aimerions que tu désembuasses les miroirs avant que les invités arrivent. (We would like for you to demist the mirrors before the guests arrive.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désembuasse S’il faisait moins chaud, je désembuasse mieux. If it wasn’t as hot, I would defog better.
tu désembuasses Si tu appuyais sur le bouton, tu désembuasses plus vite. If you pressed the button, you would defog faster.
il désembuât Si il y avait plus de lumière, il désembuât plus facilement. If there was more light, he would defog more easily.
elle désembuât Elle serait plus rapide si elle désembuât plus tôt. She would be faster if she defogged earlier.
on désembuât Si on désembuât tôt le matin, on n’aurait pas à s’inquiéter de la buée. If one defogged early in the morning, one wouldn’t have to worry about fog.
nous désembuassions Si nous désembuassions chaque fenêtre, il n’y aurait pas de buée. If we defogged each window, there would be no fog.
vous désembuassiez Si vous aviez de l’eau, vous désembuassiez les miroirs. If you had water, you would defog the mirrors.
ils désembuassent S’ils désembuassaient les vitres, on pourrait voir clairement. If they defogged the windows, we could see clearly.
elles désembuassent Si elles désembuassaient les lunettes, elles pourraient lire sans problème. If they defogged the glasses, they could read without a problem.

Other Conjugations for Désembuer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désembuer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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