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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désengager

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The English translation of the French verb désengager is “to disengage.” The infinitive form, désengager, is pronounced as “day-zahn-gah-zhay.”

The language origin of désengager comes from the prefix “dés” meaning “dis” or “un-” and the verb “engager” meaning “to engage.” Therefore, désengager literally means “to unengage” or “to disengage.”

In everyday French, désengager is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or situation in the past. It is often used after specific conjunctions such as “avant que” (before), “bien que” (although), or “sans que” (without).

Three examples of désengager in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je désengage les freins avant que la voiture ne descende la pente. (I had to disengage the brakes before the car went down the slope.)
  2. Bien qu’il désengage son soutien, elle continuait à travailler dur. (Although he disengaged his support, she continued to work hard.)
  3. Sans que je ne le désengage, il avait déjà signé le contrat. (Without my disengaging him, he had already signed the contract.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désengageasse Si j’avais le temps, je désengageasse de tous mes projets. If I had the time, I would disengage from all my projects.
tu désengageasses Si tu prenais des vacances, tu désengageasses de ton travail. If you took a vacation, you would disengage from your work.
il désengageât Il serait mieux si il désengageât de cette relation toxique. It would be better if he disengaged from this toxic relationship.
elle désengageât Elle ne serait pas déçue si elle désengageât de ses attentes. She wouldn’t be disappointed if she disengaged from her expectations.
on désengageât Si on désengageât plus souvent, on serait moins stressé. If one disengaged more often, one would be less stressed.
nous désengageassions Si nous désengageassions ensemble, ça serait plus facile. If we disengaged together, it would be easier.
vous désengageassiez Si vous désengageassiez de vos responsabilités, personne ne prendrait la relève. If you disengaged from your responsibilities, no one would pick up the slack.
ils désengageassent S’ils désengageassent de leurs préoccupations, ils seraient plus libres. If they disengaged from their concerns, they would be more free.
elles désengageassent Si elles désengageassent de leurs obligations, elles pourraient se reposer. If they disengaged from their obligations, they could rest.

Other Conjugations for Désengager.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désengager
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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