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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désister

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The English translation of the French verb désister is “to withdraw” or “to give up.” It is pronounced “day-see-stay” in its infinitive form.

The word désister comes from the Latin word “desistere,” meaning “to cease” or “to leave off.” It entered into the French language in the 16th century and is derived from the Old French word “dessister,” which has the same meaning.

In everyday French, désister is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is formed by using the present tense of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être,” followed by the past participle of désister and the endings “-ais,” “-ais,” “-ait,” “-ions,” “-iez,” “-aient.”

Here are three examples of désister in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je me désiste pour éviter un conflit. (I had to withdraw to avoid a conflict.)
  2. Je souhaitais qu’elle se désistât de cette idée dangereuse. (I wished she would give up on this dangerous idea.)
  3. Nous espérions qu’ils désistassent de leur projet. (We hoped they would back down from their project.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désistasse Je m’excuserai si je désistasse de l’évènement. I would apologize if I withdrew from the event.
tu désistasses Si tu désistasses maintenant, ça serait trop tard. If you withdrew now, it would be too late.
il désistât Il serait déçu si il désistât à la dernière minute. He would be disappointed if he withdrew at the last minute.
elle désistât Elle serait fâchée si elle désistât du projet. She would be angry if she withdrew from the project.
on désistât Si on désistât, on perdrait l’opportunité. If one withdrew, one would lose the opportunity.
nous désistassions Si nous désistassions, nous décevrions notre équipe. If we withdrew, we would let our team down.
vous désistassiez Si vous désistassiez, vous manqueriez une chance incroyable. If you withdrew, you would miss an incredible opportunity.
ils désistassent S’ils désistassent maintenant, ils regretteraient plus tard. If they withdrew now, they would regret it later.
elles désistassent Si elles désistassent, elles perdraient leur place. If they withdrew, they would lose their spot.

Other Conjugations for Désister.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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