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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb destiner

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The English translation of the French verb destiner is “to destine” or “to intend.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-stee-nay.”

The word “destiner” comes from the Latin word “destinare,” meaning “to determine” or “to appoint.” In modern French, it is primarily used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a possibility or uncertainty about an action or event in the past.

Here are three simple examples of how destiner is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’aimais beaucoup cette ville, mais je ne destinais pas à y vivre pour toujours.
    (I really liked this city, but I didn’t intend to live there forever.)

  2. Elle se demandait si son père la destinerait à reprendre l’entreprise familiale.
    (She wondered if her father would intend for her to take over the family business.)

  3. Nous ne savions pas où nos études nous destinaient, mais nous avions confiance en l’avenir.
    (We didn’t know where our studies would lead us, but we had confidence in the future.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je destinasse Si je savais, je destinasse tout mon argent à voyager. If I knew, I would dedicate all my money to travelling.
tu destinasses Si tu étais riche, tu destinasses ton argent à une bonne cause. If you were rich, you would dedicate your money to a good cause.
il destinât Il serait heureux si il destinât sa vie à aider les autres. He would be happy if he dedicated his life to helping others.
elle destinât Elle serait fière si elle destinât sa carrière à la médecine. She would be proud if she dedicated her career to medicine.
on destinât Si on destinât plus de temps à la famille, on serait plus heureux. If one dedicated more time to family, one would be happier.
nous destinassions Si nous destinassions nos compétences à un projet commun, nous réussirions. If we dedicated our skills to a common project, we would succeed.
vous destinassiez Si vous destinassiez vos ressources à une cause importante, vous contribueriez. If you dedicated your resources to an important cause, you would contribute.
ils destinassent S’ils destinassent leur énergie à des activités saines, ils seraient en meilleure santé. If they dedicated their energy to healthy activities, they would be healthier.
elles destinassent Si elles destinassent leur temps à leurs passions, elles seraient plus heureuses. If they dedicated their time to their passions, they would be happier.

Other Conjugations for Destiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb destiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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