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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déserter

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The English translation of the French verb déserter is “to desert.” It is pronounced as “day-zair-tay.”

Déserter comes from the Latin word “desertare,” meaning “to abandon.” It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the act of leaving or abandoning something, such as a job or a place.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, déserter is used to express a possibility or a hypothetical situation in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je le déserter. (I had to desert him.)
  2. Si nous le voyions déserter, que dirions-nous ? (If we saw him deserting, what would we say?)
  3. J’aurais aimé qu’il ne déserter pas ses responsabilités. (I wish he had not deserted his responsibilities.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désertasse Si j’étais forcé de partir, je désertasse l’armée. If I were forced to leave, I would desert the army.
tu désertasses Si tu quittais maintenant, tu désertasses ton poste. If you left now, you would desert your position.
il déserterait Il serait en danger s’il déserterait l’armée. He would be in danger if he deserted the army.
elle déserterait Elle serait punie si elle déserterait ses responsabilités. She would be punished if she deserted her responsibilities.
on déserterait Si on déserterait maintenant, on manquerait l’opportunité. If one deserted now, one would miss the opportunity.
nous déserterions Si nous déserterions ensemble, nous pourrions être arrêtés. If we deserted together, we could be arrested.
vous déserteriez Si vous déserteriez, vous abandonneriez votre mission. If you deserted, you would abandon your mission.
ils déserteraient S’ils déserteraient, ils seraient recherchés par l’armée. If they deserted, they would be wanted by the army.
elles déserteraient Si elles déserteraient, elles seraient considérées comme traitresses. If they deserted, they would be considered traitors.

Other Conjugations for Déserter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déserter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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