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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désenvenimer

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The English translation of the French verb désenvenimer is “to defuse” or “to de-escalate.” It is pronounced “day-zen-vuh-nee-may” in its infinitive form.

The word désenvenimer is derived from the prefix “des-” meaning “to remove” and the verb “envenimer” meaning “to aggravate or poison.” It was first used in the French language in the 17th century.

In everyday French, désenvenimer is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that may have occurred in the past. It is also used to express a wish or a suggestion.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu désenvenimes la situation. (I wished that you would defuse the situation.)

  2. Il fallait qu’il désenvenimât la colère des manifestants. (He had to de-escalate the anger of the protesters.)

  3. Nous aurions préféré que vous désenvenimiez la dispute. (We would have preferred for you to defuse the argument.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désenvenimasse Si je désenvenimasse la situation, il n’y aurait pas de conflit. If I defused the situation, there would be no conflict.
tu désenvenimasses Si tu désenvenimasses, peut-être qu’elle serait moins fâchée. If you defused, maybe she wouldn’t be so angry.
il désenvenimât Il serait mieux si il désenvenimât la situation. It would be better if he defused the situation.
elle désenvenimât Elle aurait pu désenvenimât la conversation avant qu’elle ne devienne tendue. She could have defused the conversation before it became tense.
on désenvenimât Si on désenvenimât rapidement, on pourrait éviter un conflit. If one quickly defused, one could avoid a conflict.
nous désenvenimassions Si nous désenvenimassions la situation, ça serait plus agréable pour tout le monde. If we defused the situation, it would be more pleasant for everyone.
vous désenvenimassiez Si vous désenvenimassiez avant qu’il ne soit trop tard, ça serait mieux. If you defused before it’s too late, it would be better.
ils désenvenimassent S’ils désenvenimassent, peut-être qu’elle ne serait pas si en colère. If they defused, maybe she wouldn’t be so angry.
elles désenvenimassent Si elles désenvenimassent en parlant calmement, ça serait plus efficace. If they defused by talking calmly, it would be more effective.

Other Conjugations for Désenvenimer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désenvenimer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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