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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dessoler

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The English translation of the French verb dessoler is “to sadden” or “to make someone sad.” It is pronounced like “de-so-lay.”

The origin of dessoler can be traced back to the Latin word “desolere,” meaning “to leave alone.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of dessoler used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je te dessolasse avec cette mauvaise nouvelle. (I had to make you sad with this bad news.)

  2. Elle souhaitait que sa présence ne te dessolât pas trop. (She hoped that her absence wouldn’t sadden you too much.)

  3. Nous aurions aimé que cette tragédie ne nous dessolât pas autant. (We wished this tragedy didn’t sadden us so much.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désolasse Si j’habitais ici, je me désolasse tous les jours. If I lived here, I would feel sorry for myself every day.
tu désolasses Si tu m’écoutais plus, tu désolasses toutes mes douleurs. If you listened to me more, you would ease all my pains.
il désolât Il serait triste si il désolât sa mère. He would be sad if he made his mother sorry.
elle désolât Elle serait inquiète si elle désolât son père. She would be worried if she made her father sorry.
on désolât Si on désolât le jardin, il serait joli. If one made the garden sorry, it would be pretty.
nous désolassions Si nous nous parlions plus souvent, nous désolassions moins. If we talked to each other more often, we would make each other less sorry.
vous désolassiez Si vous désolassiez la situation, ça serait pire. If you made the situation sorry, it would be worse.
ils désolassent S’ils désolassent leur famille, ils se sentiraient mal. If they made their family sorry, they would feel bad.
elles désolassent Si elles désolassent leurs amis, ça serait gênant. If they made their friends sorry, it would be awkward.

Other Conjugations for Dessoler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessoler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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