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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désentoiler

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The English translation of the French verb désentoiler is “to unfasten” or “to unhook.” It is pronounced “day-zawn-twal-ay” in its infinitive form.

Désentoiler comes from the combination of the prefix “dés-” meaning “un-” and the verb “entoiler” meaning “to fasten” or “to hook.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples of désentoiler in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je désentoile la porte avant de pouvoir la fermer. (It was necessary that I unfastened the door before being able to close it.)
  2. Elle souhaitait que nous désentoilions la tente avant de partir. (She wanted us to unhook the tent before leaving.)
  3. Il était possible que les enfants désentoilent leurs ceintures de sécurité pendant le voyage. (It was possible that the children would unfasten their seat belts during the trip.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désentoilasse Si j’avais su, je désentoilasse le tableau. If I had known, I would have taken down the painting.
tu désentoilasses Si tu le détestais, tu désentoilasses tous les tableaux. If you hated it, you would take down all the paintings.
il désentoilât Il serait plus facile si il désentoilât le mur. It would be easier if he took down the wallpaper.
elle désentoilât Elle serait plus rapide si elle désentoilât les rideaux. She would be quicker if she took down the curtains.
on désentoilât Si on était organisé, on désentoilât avant de peindre. If we were organized, we would take down before painting.
nous désentoilassions Si nous étions habiles, nous désentoilassions tout en une journée. If we were skillful, we would take down everything in one day.
vous désentoilassiez Si vous le vouliez, vous désentoilassiez les murs et le plafond. If you wanted to, you would take down the walls and ceiling.
ils désentoilassent S’ils étaient plus motivés, ils désentoilassent plus rapidement. If they were more motivated, they would take down faster.
elles désentoilassent Si elles aimaient la décoration, elles désentoilassent tout le temps. If they liked decoration, they would take down all the time.

Other Conjugations for Désentoiler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désentoiler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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