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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détirer

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The English translation of the French verb détirer is “to stretch out.” It is pronounced as “day-tee-ray.”

The word détirer is derived from the Old French word “destirer” which comes from the Latin “dēstringere” meaning “to draw tight.” It is commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples of the usage of détirer in Subjonctif Imparfait tense include:

  1. Il fallait que je détira mes bras avant de commencer à travailler. (I had to stretch out my arms before starting to work.)
  2. J’aurais préféré que tu détirasses tes jambes avant de partir en randonnée. (I would have preferred if you had stretched out your legs before going hiking.)
  3. Il était important que nous détirions bien nos muscles avant de faire du sport. (It was important for us to stretch out our muscles well before playing sports.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je détirasse Si j’avais plus de temps, je détirasse mes muscles. If I had more time, I would stretch my muscles.
tu détirasses Si tu détirasses plus, tu aurais moins de crampes. If you stretched more, you would have fewer cramps.
il détirât Il serait plus flexible s’il détirât chaque jour. He would be more flexible if he stretched every day.
elle détirât Elle serait moins tendue si elle détirât avant de dormir. She would be less tense if she stretched before sleeping.
on détirât Si on détirât régulièrement, on se blesserait moins. If one stretched regularly, one would get injured less.
nous détirassions Si nous détirassions ensemble, on pourrait se motiver. If we stretched together, we could motivate each other.
vous détirassiez Si vous détirassiez pendant 5 minutes chaque matin, vous vous sentiriez mieux. If you stretched for 5 minutes every morning, you would feel better.
ils détirassent S’ils détirassent avant de faire du sport, ils éviteraient les blessures. If they stretched before exercising, they would avoid injuries.
elles détirassent Si elles détirassent ensemble, ça serait plus amusant. If they stretched together, it would be more fun.

Other Conjugations for Détirer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détirer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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