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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désespérer

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The English translation of désespérer is “to despair.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “day-zay-spay-ray.”

The language origin of désespérer can be traced back to the Latin word “desperare,” meaning “to give up hope.” It is a regular verb in French, meaning that it follows the typical conjugation pattern for -er verbs. In everyday French, désespérer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a mood used to express doubts, wishes, and hypothetical situations.

Examples:

  1. Je craignais qu’il ne désespérât de trouver un travail. (I feared that he would despair of finding a job.)
  2. Il fallait qu’elle ne désespérât pas de sa santé. (She had to not despair of her health.)
  3. J’étais content que nous ne désespérassions pas malgré les difficultés. (I was glad that we did not despair despite the difficulties.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désespérasse Si je n’avais pas réussi, je désespérasse. If I had not succeeded, I would despair.
tu désespérasses Si tu ne m’aidais pas, je désespérasses. If you did not help me, I would despair.
il désespérât Il serait malheureux si il désespérât. He would be unhappy if he despaired.
elle désespérât Elle serait triste si elle désespérât. She would be sad if she despaired.
on désespérât Si on désespérât trop, on ne pourrait pas continuer. If one despaired too much, one could not continue.
nous désespérassions Si nous n’avions pas d’aide, nous désespérassions vite. If we did not have any help, we would despair quickly.
vous désespérassiez Si vous ne me souteniez pas, je désespérassiez. If you did not support me, I would despair.
ils désespérassent S’ils n’avaient pas de travail, ils désespérassent. If they did not have work, they would despair.
elles désespérassent Si elles ne croyaient pas en moi, je désespérassent. If they did not believe in me, I would despair.

Other Conjugations for Désespérer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désespérer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Désespérer – 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.

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