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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désenchaîner

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The English translation of the French verb désenchaîner is “to unchain” or “to unshackle”. The infinitive form is pronounced “day-zahn-shay-nay”.

The verb is derived from the prefix “des-” meaning “undo” and the noun “chaîne” meaning “chain”. It is often used in its literal sense of removing physical chains or restraints, but can also be used figuratively to express breaking free from constraints or limitations.

In everyday French, désenchaîner is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is formed by adding the subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” (aie) or “être” (sois) to the past participle of désenchaîner (désenchaîné).

Examples in Subjonctif Imparfait:

  1. J’aimerais que tu désenchaînasses les prisonniers avant de les interroger. (I wish you would unchain the prisoners before interrogating them.)
  2. Il fallait que je désenchaînasse mes peurs pour pouvoir avancer. (I had to unshackle my fears in order to move forward.)
  3. Si elle avait su, elle aurait désenchaîné ses chiens avant l’arrivée des enfants. (If she had known, she would have unchained her dogs before the arrival of the children.)

Overall, désenchaîner in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense is used to express a desire, necessity, or hypothetical situation in the past. It is often accompanied by expressions such as “il fallait que” (it was necessary that) or “si elle avait su” (if she had known).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désenchaînasse Si j’avais le courage, je désenchaînasse la vérité. If I had the courage, I would unleash the truth.
tu désenchaînasses Si tu me donnais une chance, tu désenchaînasses ta créativité. If you gave me a chance, you would unleash your creativity.
il désenchaînât Il serait libre s’il désenchaînât sa colère. He would be free if he unleashed his anger.
elle désenchaînât Si elle désenchaînât sa passion, elle pourrait accomplir beaucoup. If she unleashed her passion, she could accomplish a lot.
on désenchaînât Si on désenchaînât ses rêves, on pourrait les réaliser. If one unleashed their dreams, they could make them come true.
nous désenchaînassions Si nous désenchaînassions nos talents, nous pourrions réussir. If we unleashed our talents, we could succeed.
vous désenchaînassiez Si vous désenchaînassiez votre imagination, vous pourriez créer quelque chose de nouveau. If you unleashed your imagination, you could create something new.
ils désenchaînassent S’ils désenchaînassent leur créativité, ils pourraient innover. If they unleashed their creativity, they could innovate.
elles désenchaînassent Si elles désenchaînassent leur potentiel, elles pourraient accomplir de grandes choses. If they unleashed their potential, they could accomplish great things.

Other Conjugations for Désenchaîner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désenchaîner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Désenchaîner – 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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