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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désemprisonner

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The English translation of the French verb désemprisonner is “to release from prison.” It is pronounced as “day-zuhm-pree-zoh-nay.”

Désemprisonner is a combination of the prefix “dés-” which means “un-” or “dis-” and the verb “emprisonner” which means “to imprison.” It is primarily used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a past action or state that may or may not have actually occurred.

Three simple examples of désemprisonner used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je désemprisonnasse mon ami. (It was necessary for me to release my friend from prison.)
  2. Je doutais qu’ils désemprisonnassent leur fils. (I doubted that they would release their son from prison.)
  3. Nous espérions que vous désemprisonnassiez les prisonniers politiques. (We hoped that you would release the political prisoners.)

In each of these examples, désemprisonner is used to express a wish or desire for someone to be released from prison, but it is uncertain whether or not that action actually happened. This tense is often used in more formal or literary contexts.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désemprisonnasse Si j’étais un avocat, je désemprisonnasse les innocents. If I were a lawyer, I would free the innocent.
tu désemprisonnasses Si tu faisais appel, tu désemprisonnasses ton ami. If you appealed, you would free your friend.
il désemprisonnât Il serait heureux si il désemprisonnât les prisonniers. He would be happy if he freed the prisoners.
elle désemprisonnât Elle serait fière si elle désemprisonnât les otages. She would be proud if she freed the hostages.
on désemprisonnât Si on désemprisonnât les criminels, on aurait une société plus sûre. If we freed the criminals, we would have a safer society.
nous désemprisonnassions Si nous désemprisonnassions les torturés, nous serions des héros. If we freed the tortured, we would be heroes.
vous désemprisonnassiez Si vous désemprisonnassiez les opprimés, vous seriez des justiciers. If you freed the oppressed, you would be vigilantes.
ils désemprisonnassent S’ils désemprisonnassent les victimes, le monde serait plus juste. If they freed the victims, the world would be more just.
elles désemprisonnassent Si elles étaient des juges, elles désemprisonnassent les coupables. If they were judges, they would free the guilty.

Other Conjugations for Désemprisonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désemprisonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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