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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détériorer

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The English translation of the French verb détériorer is “to deteriorate” or “to damage.” It is pronounced “day-tay-ree-oh-ray” in the infinitive form.

The word détériorer comes from the Latin word “deterior” which means “worse.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and has been used in its current form since the 19th century.

In everyday French, the verb détériorer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain situation in the past. It is commonly used to express regret or a negative outcome.

  1. Il fallait que je ne détériore pas cette situation. (I should not have deteriorated this situation.)

  2. J’aurais aimé que tu ne détériores pas mon amitié. (I wish you didn’t deteriorate my friendship.)

  3. Si seulement il ne détériorait pas sa santé en fumant. (If only he didn’t deteriorate his health by smoking.)

  4. I had to not deteriorate this situation.

  5. I would have liked for you to not deteriorate our friendship.

  6. If only he wasn’t deteriorating his health by smoking.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je détériorasse Si j’étais riche, je détériorasse tout. If I were rich, I would ruin everything.
tu détériorasses Si tu utilisais moins d’eau, tu détériorasses moins l’environnement. If you used less water, you would harm the environment less.
il détériorât Il serait en colère si il détériorât l’objet. He would be angry if he damaged the object.
elle détériorât Elle serait déçue si elle détériorât ses vêtements. She would be disappointed if she ruined her clothes.
on détériorât Si on détériorât moins de biens, on gaspillerait moins. If one destroyed less goods, one would waste less.
nous détériorassions Si nous détériorassions notre réputation, nous aurions des problèmes. If we damaged our reputation, we would have problems.
vous détériorassiez Si vous détériorassiez plus, vous feriez plus de mal. If you harmed more, you would do more damage.
ils détériorassent S’ils détériorassent l’environnement, ils détruirait la planète. If they harmed the environment, they would destroy the planet.
elles détériorassent Si elles détériorassent leur amitié, elles ne seraient plus amies. If they ruined their friendship, they would no longer be friends.

Other Conjugations for Détériorer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détériorer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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