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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détoner

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The English translation of the French verb détoner is “to detonate.” It is pronounced as day-toe-nay.

Détoner comes from the Latin word detonare, which means “to thunder down.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a possibility or hypothetical situation in the past.

Three examples of détoner in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Si j’avais allumé la mèche, la bombe aurait détoné. (If I had lit the fuse, the bomb would have detonated.)
  2. Il était possible que la voiture détonât à tout moment. (It was possible that the car would detonate at any moment.)
  3. Nous aurions été blessés si la bombe avait détoné plus tôt. (We would have been injured if the bomb had detonated earlier.)

In these examples, détoner is used to describe a potential or imagined event in the past. It is conjugated in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to show that the action is not certain to have happened.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je détonasse Je ne serais pas surpris si j’étais détonasse. I wouldn’t be surprised if I were detonating.
tu détonasses Si tu faisais attention, tu ne détonasses pas. If you paid attention, you wouldn’t detonate.
il détonât Il serait inquiet si il détonât près de la maison. He would be worried if he detonated near the house.
elle détonât Elle serait fâchée si elle détonât trop fort. She would be angry if she detonated too loudly.
on détonât Si on détonât dehors, on attire l’attention. If one detonated outside, one would attract attention.
nous détonassions Si nous détonassions avec précaution, nous serions en sécurité. If we detonated carefully, we would be safe.
vous détonassiez Si vous détonassiez sans autorisation, vous seriez arrêtés. If you detonated without permission, you would be arrested.
ils détonassent S’ils détonassent en public, ils seraient condamnés. If they detonated in public, they would be convicted.
elles détonassent Si elles détonassent ensemble, ça serait dangereux. If they detonated together, it would be dangerous.

Other Conjugations for Détoner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détoner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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