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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dessuinter

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The English translation of the French verb dessuinter is “to dewrinkle” or “to smooth out”. It is pronounced “deh-sween-teh”.

Dessuinter comes from the prefix “des-” which means “to remove” and the verb “suinte” which means “to seep” or “to ooze”. It is most often used in everyday French in the subjonctif imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the subjonctif imparfait tense:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu dessuintes ma chemise avant le dîner. (I wished that you would dewrinkle my shirt before dinner.)
  2. Il fallait que nous dessuintions nos costumes avant la réunion. (We had to dewrinkle our suits before the meeting.)
  3. Elle aurait préféré que je dessuinte les draps avant son arrivée. (She would have preferred that I dewrinkle the sheets before her arrival.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dessuintasse Si j’avais su, je dessuintasse toute la nuit. If I had known, I would have danced all night.
tu dessuintasses Si tu dessuintasses plus souvent, tu serais meilleur danseur. If you danced more often, you would be a better dancer.
il dessuintât Il serait plus amusant s’il dessuintât avec nous. It would be more fun if he danced with us.
elle dessuintât Elle serait plus détendue si elle dessuintât dans la soirée. She would be more relaxed if she danced in the evening.
on dessuintât Si on dessuintât en rythme, on prendrait plus de plaisir. If one danced in rhythm, one would enjoy more.
nous dessuintassions Si nous dessuintassions en duo, nous serions plus synchronisés. If we danced in a duo, we would be more synchronized.
vous dessuintassiez Si vous dessuintassiez plus tôt, vous seriez déjà à la soirée. If you danced earlier, you would already be at the party.
ils dessuintassent S’ils dessuintassent en groupe, ça serait plus animé. If they danced in a group, it would be more lively.
elles dessuintassent Si elles dessuintassent en duo, elles seraient plus harmonieuses. If they danced in a duo, they would be more harmonious.

Other Conjugations for Dessuinter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessuinter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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