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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désencrasser

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The English translation of the French verb désencrasser is “to unclog” or “to clear out”. It is pronounced “day-zahn-krah-say”.

The language origin of désencrasser is a combination of the prefix “dés-” meaning “to undo” and the verb “encrasser” meaning “to clog”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a past tense used to express hypothetical or uncertain actions.

Here are 3 simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je désencrasse les tuyaux avant que l’eau ne se mette à couler. (I had to unclog the pipes before the water started running.)
  2. Je voulais que tu désencrasses la douche, mais tu as oublié. (I wanted you to unclog the shower, but you forgot.)
  3. Il était possible que le plombier désencrasse le lavabo, mais il n’a pas eu le temps. (It was possible that the plumber unclogged the sink, but he didn’t have time.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désencrassasse Je ne pense pas que je désencrassasse la voiture avant demain. I don’t think I would clean the car before tomorrow.
tu désencrassasses Si tu faisais l’effort, tu désencrassasses plus souvent. If you made the effort, you would clean more often.
il désencrassât Il serait mieux si il désencrassât son appartement. It would be better if he cleaned his apartment.
elle désencrassât Elle serait plus heureuse si elle désencrassât son bureau. She would be happier if she cleaned her desk.
on désencrassât Si on désencrassât souvent, on n’aurait pas autant d’allergies. If we cleaned more often, we wouldn’t have as many allergies.
nous désencrassassions Si nous désencrassassions plus souvent, notre maison serait plus propre. If we cleaned more often, our house would be cleaner.
vous désencrassassiez Si vous désencrassassiez chaque semaine, vous n’auriez pas autant de poussière. If you cleaned every week, you wouldn’t have as much dust.
ils désencrassassent S’ils désencrassassent régulièrement, leur voiture durerait plus longtemps. If they cleaned regularly, their car would last longer.
elles désencrassassent Si elles désencrassassent ensemble, ça serait plus efficace. If they cleaned together, it would be more efficient.

Other Conjugations for Désencrasser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désencrasser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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