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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désenflammer

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The English translation of the French verb désenflammer is “to calm down” or “to soothe”. It is pronounced as “day-zahn-flah-may”.

Désenflammer is derived from the prefix “dés-” meaning “un-” or “de-“, and the verb “enflammer” meaning “to inflame”. It literally means “to un-inflame” or “to extinguish flames”. In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je désenflamme la situation avant qu’elle ne devienne incontrôlable. (I had to calm down the situation before it became out of control.)
  2. Si tu m’avais laissé désenflammer les tensions, peut-être que nous aurions encore une chance. (If you had let me calm down the tensions, maybe we would still have a chance.)
  3. Ils souhaitaient que la manifestation se terminât sans incident, mais ils n’avaient pas réussi à désenflammer les esprits échauffés. (They wished for the protest to end without incident, but they were not able to soothe the heated spirits.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désenflammasse Si j’éteignais le feu, je désenflammasse la maison. If I put out the fire, I would prevent the house from catching fire.
tu désenflammasses Si tu étais moins passionné, tu désenflammasses les conversations. If you were less passionate, you would calm down the conversations.
il désenflammât Il serait content si il désenflammât son coeur. He would be happy if he stopped being in love.
elle désenflammât Elle serait surprise si elle désenflammât ses sentiments. She would be surprised if she cooled down her feelings.
on désenflammât Si on désenflammât les esprits, on éviterait les conflits. If one calmed down the spirits, one would avoid conflicts.
nous désenflammassions Si nous désenflammassions notre colère, nous serions plus sereins. If we calmed down our anger, we would be more serene.
vous désenflammassiez Si vous désenflammassiez moins vos discours, vous seriez plus convaincants. If you toned down your speeches, you would be more convincing.
ils désenflammassent S’ils désenflammassent leurs rivaux, ils gagneraient le match. If they took away their rivals’ passion, they would win the game.
elles désenflammassent Si elles désenflammassent leurs coeurs, elles seraient moins blessées. If they calmed down their hearts, they would be less hurt.

Other Conjugations for Désenflammer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désenflammer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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