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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désénerver

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The English translation of the French verb désénerver is “to calm down” or “to soothe”. It is pronounced as “day-zay-nair-vair” in its infinitive form.

The word désénerver is derived from the prefix dés- (meaning “un-” or “de-“) and the verb énerver (meaning “to annoy” or “to irritate”). It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Je voulais que tu te désénerves avant de parler avec ton patron. (I wanted you to calm down before talking to your boss.)
  2. Il fallait qu’elle se désénerve avant de prendre une décision. (She had to calm down before making a decision.)
  3. Nous cherchions une méthode pour que notre enfant se désénerve avant d’aller se coucher. (We were looking for a method to calm down our child before going to bed.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désénervasse Si j’avais réussi mon examen, je désénervasse mes parents. If I had passed my exam, I would calm my parents down.
tu désénervasses Si tu parlais moins fort, tu désénervasses les voisins. If you spoke more quietly, you would calm down the neighbors.
il désénervât Si il faisait moins de bruit, il désénervât tout le monde. If he made less noise, he would calm everyone down.
elle désénervât Si elle était moins stressée, elle désénervât ses collègues. If she was less stressed, she would calm her colleagues down.
on désénervât Si on écoutait plus, on désénervât les clients. If one listened more, one would calm down the clients.
nous désénervassions Si nous étions plus patients, nous désénervassions nos enfants plus facilement. If we were more patient, we would calm our children down more easily.
vous désénervassiez Si vous preniez une pause, vous désénervassiez tout le monde. If you took a break, you would calm everyone down.
ils désénervassent S’ils étaient plus calmes, ils désénervassent les animaux sauvages. If they were calmer, they would calm down the wild animals.
elles désénervassent Si elles parlaient moins, elles désénervassent tout le monde. If they spoke less, they would calm everyone down.

Other Conjugations for Désénerver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désénerver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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