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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détortiller

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The English translation of the French verb détortiller is “to untwist”. The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “day-tor-tee-yay”.

The word détortiller comes from the verb tordre, which means “to twist” in English. The prefix “dé-” added to the beginning of the verb indicates a reversal or undoing of the action. In everyday French, détortiller is often used in its Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je détortille les fils avant de les brancher. (I had to untwist the wires before plugging them in.)
  2. J’espérais que tu détortillais tes cheveux avant de sortir. (I was hoping that you were untwisting your hair before going out.)
  3. Nous ne pensions pas que vous détortilliez les tiges avant de les insérer dans le vase. (We didn’t think that you were untwisting the stems before putting them in the vase.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je détortillasse S’il te plait, je détortillasse les fils. Please, let me untangle the wires.
tu détortillasses Si tu t’étais calmé, tu détortillasses plus vite. If you had calmed down, you would untangle faster.
il détortillât Il faudrait qu’il détortillât ses cheveux avant de sortir. He should detangle his hair before going out.
elle détortillât Si elle détortillât ses cheveux, elle aurait un nouveau look. If she untangled her hair, she would have a new look.
on détortillât Si on détortillât le ruban, on pourrait l’utiliser. If one untangled the ribbon, one could use it.
nous détortillassions Si nous détortillassions ensemble, ça serait plus rapide. If we untangled together, it would be faster.
vous détortillassiez Si vous détortillassiez doucement, ça ferait moins mal. If you untangled gently, it would hurt less.
ils détortillassent S’ils détortillassent en même temps, ça serait plus facile. If they untangled at the same time, it would be easier.
elles détortillassent Si elles détortillassent les fils, elles pourraient brancher la télé. If they untangled the wires, they could plug in the TV.

Other Conjugations for Détortiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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