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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désemparer

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The English translation of the French verb désemparer is “to dishearten” or “to discourage.” It is pronounced as “day-zahn-pah-ray.”

The word désemparer comes from the Old French word “desemparer” which means “to lose one’s bearings” or “to be dispossessed.” It is formed by adding the prefix “des-” which means “to undo” or “to remove” to the verb “emparer” which means “to take possession of.”

In everyday French, désemparer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or state in the past. This tense is formed by using the imperfect tense of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of désemparer. It is used to express events that may or may not have happened in the past.

Three simple examples of désemparer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je me désempare de mes rêves. (I had to let go of my dreams.)
  2. Si tu ne t’étais pas désemparé, tu aurais réussi. (If you hadn’t been discouraged, you would have succeeded.)
  3. Nous souhaitions que vous ne vous désempariez pas face aux difficultés. (We wished that you wouldn’t be disheartened by the challenges.)

English translations:

  1. I had to let go of my dreams.
  2. If you hadn’t been discouraged, you would have succeeded.
  3. We wished that you wouldn’t be disheartened by the challenges.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désemparasse Si j’étais perdu, je me désemparasse. If I were lost, I would become disoriented.
tu désemparasses Si tu avais peur, tu te désemparasses. If you were scared, you would become disoriented.
il désemparât Il serait triste s’il se désemparât. He would be sad if he became disoriented.
elle désemparât Elle serait en colère si elle se désemparât. She would be angry if she became disoriented.
on désemparât Si on était confus, on se désemparât. If one was confused, one would become disoriented.
nous désemparassions Si nous étions perdus, nous nous désemparassions. If we were lost, we would become disoriented.
vous désemparassiez Si vous étiez déboussolés, vous vous désemparassiez. If you were disoriented, you would become even more disoriented.
ils désemparassent S’ils étaient désorientés, ils se désemparassent. If they were disoriented, they would become even more disoriented.
elles désemparassent Si elles étaient désorientées, elles se désemparassent. If they were disoriented, they would become even more disoriented.

Other Conjugations for Désemparer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désemparer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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