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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désennuyer

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of désennuyer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb désennuyer is “to entertain” or “to amuse”. It is pronounced as “dey-za-nwee-yey”.

The word désennuyer is derived from the Old French word “ennuyer” which means “to annoy” or “to bore”. The prefix “dés-” adds a negation to the word, making it mean “to un-bore” or “to alleviate boredom”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a wish or a possibility.

Examples:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu te désennuyasses en lisant un bon livre. (I wished that you would entertain yourself by reading a good book.)
  2. Il fallait qu’elle se désennuyât pendant les longs voyages en écoutant de la musique. (She had to entertain herself during the long trips by listening to music.)
  3. Nous préférions que le groupe se désennuyât en jouant à des jeux plutôt qu’en regardant la télévision. (We preferred that the group would entertain themselves by playing games rather than watching TV.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désennuyasse Si j’étais seul, je me désennuyasse en lisant. If I were alone, I would entertain myself by reading.
tu désennuyasses Si tu n’avais pas d’amis, tu te désennuyasses souvent. If you had no friends, you would often entertain yourself.
il désennuyât Il serait heureux si il se désennuyât en faisant du sport. He would be happy if he entertained himself by exercising.
elle désennuyât Elle serait contente si elle se désennuyât en écoutant de la musique. She would be happy if she entertained herself by listening to music.
on désennuyât Si on se désennuyât en voyageant, on découvrirait de nouveaux endroits. If one entertained themselves by traveling, one would discover new places.
nous désennuyassions Si nous nous désennuyassions en cuisinant ensemble, ce serait amusant. If we entertained ourselves by cooking together, it would be fun.
vous désennuyassiez Si vous vous désennuyassiez en regardant des films, vous auriez plus de culture. If you entertained yourselves by watching movies, you would have more culture.
ils désennuyassent S’ils se désennuyassent en parlant, ils se confieraient plus. If they entertained themselves by talking, they would trust each other more.
elles désennuyassent Si elles se désennuyassent en dansant, elles se dépenseraient plus. If they entertained themselves by dancing, they would spend more energy.

Other Conjugations for Désennuyer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désennuyer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the désennuyer Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts