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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désirer

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The English translation of the French verb désirer is “to desire.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-zee-ray.”

Désirer comes from the Latin word “desiderare,” meaning “to long for” or “to miss.” It was first used in French in the 12th century.

In everyday French, désirer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a desire or a wish that is not yet fulfilled. It is often preceded by expressions such as “je voudrais que” (I would like) or “j’aimerais que” (I would love).

Here are three examples of désirer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense and their English translations:

  1. Je désirais que tu sois là avec moi. (I wished you were here with me.)
  2. Il souhaitait que nous partions en vacances ensemble. (He wished for us to go on vacation together.)
  3. Elle aurait aimé que je la rejoigne à la fête. (She would have liked for me to join her at the party.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désirasse Si je pouvais, je désirasse voyager. If I could, I would desire to travel.
tu désirasses Si tu avais plus d’argent, tu désirasses une voiture. If you had more money, you would desire a car.
il désirât Il serait heureux si il désirât moins de choses. He would be happy if he desired less things.
elle désirât Elle serait satisfaite si elle désirât autre chose. She would be satisfied if she desired something else.
on désirât Si on désirât plus, on serait toujours insatisfait. If one desired more, one would always be unsatisfied.
nous désirassions Si nous désirassions le même futur, nous serions ensemble. If we desired the same future, we would be together.
vous désirassiez Si vous désirassiez la même chose, vous seriez d’accord. If you desired the same thing, you would agree.
ils désirassent S’ils désirassent la même chose, ils se battraient. If they desired the same thing, they would fight.
elles désirassent Si elles désirassent des choses différentes, elles se disputeraient. If they desired different things, they would argue.

Other Conjugations for Désirer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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