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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désenivrer

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The English translation of the French verb désenivrer is “to sober up.” It is pronounced “DAY-zen-ee-vreh.”

The word désenivrer is made up of two parts: des, which is a prefix meaning “undoing” or “removing,” and enivrer, which means “to make drunk” or “intoxicate.” Therefore, désenivrer can be translated as “to undo drunkenness” or “to remove intoxication.”

In everyday French, désenivrer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express hypothetical or uncertain actions in the past. This tense is formed by using the present tense of the subjunctive verb être (to be) followed by the imparfait tense of the verb désenivrer. It is often used when talking about a past event that may or may not have happened, or to express a wish or desire about the past.

Here are three simple examples of désenivrer used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il aurait fallu que tu te désenivres avant de prendre le volant. (You should have sobered up before driving.)

  2. J’aurais préféré que tu te désenivres avant de venir me voir. (I would have preferred if you had sobered up before coming to see me.)

  3. Il aurait été mieux que tu te désenivres avant d’écrire ce message. (It would have been better if you had sobered up before writing this message.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désenivrasse Si j’étais ivre, je désenivrasse plus vite. If I were drunk, I would sober up more quickly.
tu désenivrasses Si tu buvais moins, tu désenivrasses plus facilement. If you drank less, you would sober up more easily.
il désenivrât Il serait mieux si il désenivrât avant de conduire. It would be better if he sobered up before driving.
elle désenivrât Elle serait en sécurité si elle se désenivrât avant le voyage. She would be safe if she sobered up before the trip.
on désenivrât Si on se désenivrât régulièrement, on éviterait les problèmes. If one sobered up regularly, one would avoid problems.
nous désenivrassions Si nous désenivrassions en groupe, ça serait plus amusant. If we sobered up together, it would be more fun.
vous désenivrassiez Si vous désenivrassiez plus tôt, ça vous éviterait des ennuis. If you sobered up earlier, it would save you from trouble.
ils désenivrassent S’ils désenivrassent en silence, ils n’attireraient pas l’attention. If they sobered up silently, they wouldn’t attract attention.
elles désenivrassent Si elles se désenivrassent après avoir bu, elles seraient plus responsables. If they sobered up after drinking, they would be more responsible.

Other Conjugations for Désenivrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désenivrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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