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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désoler

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The English translation of the French verb désoler is “to be sorry” or “to apologize.” It is pronounced “day-zoh-lay” in its infinitive form.

The word désoler comes from the Latin word “desolare,” meaning “to leave alone” or “to cause sorrow.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait, which is a verb tense used to express actions or events that are uncertain, hypothetical, or desired but not yet realized.

Three simple examples of désoler in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je désolasse mes amis pour mon comportement. (I needed to apologize to my friends for my behavior.)
  2. Je souhaitais que tu désolasses ta mère avant de partir. (I wished that you apologized to your mother before leaving.)
  3. Nous préférions que vous désolassiez vos voisins pour le bruit. (We preferred that you apologized to your neighbors for the noise.)

In each of these examples, désoler is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a desired or uncertain action of apologizing.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désolasse Si j’avais tort, je désolasse tout le monde. If I were wrong, I would apologize to everyone.
tu désolasses Si tu insistais, tu désolasses tes amis. If you insisted, you would apologize to your friends.
il désolât Il serait désolé s’il désolât quelqu’un. He would be sorry if he upset someone.
elle désolât Elle serait désolée si elle désolât sa famille. She would be sorry if she upset her family.
on désolât Si on désolât nos voisins, ils ne nous inviteraient plus. If we upset our neighbors, they wouldn’t invite us anymore.
nous désolassions Si nous désolassions nos collègues, nous devrions nous excuser. If we upset our colleagues, we would have to apologize.
vous désolassiez Si vous désolassiez votre professeur, il serait déçu. If you upset your teacher, he would be disappointed.
ils désolassent S’ils désolassent la ville, il y aurait des conséquences. If they upset the city, there would be consequences.
elles désolassent Si elles désolassent notre groupe, nous serions en colère. If they upset our group, we would be angry.

Other Conjugations for Désoler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désoler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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