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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détraquer

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The English translation of the French verb détraquer is “to disrupt” or “to throw off balance.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-trah-kay.”

Détraquer comes from the Old French word “traquer” which means “to hunt.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a possibility or doubt about a past action or event.

Example 1: Il fallait que je détraque son plan. (I had to disrupt his plan.)
Example 2: Nous avions peur que la météo détraque notre voyage. (We were afraid the weather would disrupt our trip.)
Example 3: J’espérais que tu ne détraques pas notre soirée. (I hoped you wouldn’t disrupt our evening.)

In these examples, détraquer is used to express a possibility or doubt about a past action or event. The Subjonctif Imparfait tense is often used in conjunction with the word “que” to express this doubt or uncertainty.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je détriquasse Je ne serais pas en retard si je détriquasse mes horaires. I wouldn’t be late if I fixed my schedule.
tu détriquasses Si tu travaillais plus, tu détriquasses moins souvent. If you worked more, you would break down less often.
il détriquât Il trouverait la solution s’il détriquât calmement. He would find the solution if he calmly figured it out.
elle détriquât Elle serait plus en forme si elle détriquât moins son corps. She would be in better shape if she didn’t strain her body.
on détriquât Si on détriquât moins souvent, on économiserait de l’argent. If one broke down less often, one would save money.
nous détriquassions Si nous détriquassions nos mauvaises habitudes, nous irions mieux. If we got rid of our bad habits, we would feel better.
vous détriquassiez Si vous détriquassiez un peu plus, vous comprendriez mieux. If you broke down a little more, you would understand better.
ils détriquassent S’ils détriquassent leur voiture, ils n’auraient pas de problèmes. If they fixed their car, they wouldn’t have any problems.
elles détriquassent Si elles détriquassent moins souvent, elles seraient moins fatiguées. If they broke down less often, they would be less tired.

Other Conjugations for Détraquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détraquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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