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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désinculper

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The English translation of the French verb désinculper is “to absolve” or “to acquit”. It is pronounced “day-zan-kool-pay”.

The word désinculper is derived from the prefix “dés-“, which can mean “undoing” or “negation”, and the verb “inculper” which means “to accuse” or “to charge”. In everyday French, désinculper is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or desired action in the past.

Three examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je me désinculpasse de cette accusation. (I needed to absolve myself from this accusation.)
  2. Je voulais que tu te désinculpes auprès de tes parents. (I wanted you to be acquitted in front of your parents.)
  3. Ils souhaitaient que nous nous désinculpions avant le procès. (They wished for us to be exonerated before the trial.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désinculpasse Je voudrais que je me désinculpasse. I wish I could clear myself.
tu désinculpasses J’aimerais que tu te désinculpasses. I would like you to clear yourself.
il désinculpât Il fallait que il se désinculpât. He had to clear himself.
elle désinculpât Elle voulait que elle se désinculpât. She wanted to clear herself.
on désinculpât Si on se désinculpât, cela serait plus facile. If one cleared oneself, it would be easier.
nous désinculpassions Il serait mieux si nous nous désinculpassions ensemble. It would be better if we cleared ourselves together.
vous désinculpassiez Si vous vous désinculpassiez, je vous donnerais une chance. If you cleared yourself, I would give you a chance.
ils désinculpassent Il serait bon que ils se désinculpassent. It would be good if they cleared themselves.
elles désinculpassent Si elles se désinculpassent, elles seraient innocentes. If they cleared themselves, they would be innocent.

Other Conjugations for Désinculper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désinculper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Désinculper – 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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