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

Introduction to the verb détricoter

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The English translation of the French verb détricoter is “to unravel” or “to undo.” It is pronounced as “day-tree-koh-tay.”

The language origin of détricoter comes from the prefix “dé-” meaning “undo” and the word “tricot” meaning “knit,” so the literal translation is “to unknit.”

In everyday French, détricoter is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in combination with the conjunction “si” to introduce a condition.

Examples:

  1. Si j’avais su, je n’aurais pas détricoté ce pull. (If I had known, I wouldn’t have unraveled this sweater.)
  2. Je préférais que tu ne détricotais pas cette écharpe. (I preferred that you didn’t unravel this scarf.)
  3. Nous aurions dû le détricoter avant de le réparer. (We should have unraveled it before fixing it.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je détricotasse Si je n’étais pas occupé, je détricotasse mon pull. If I wasn’t busy, I would unravel my sweater.
tu détricotasses Si tu avais plus de patience, tu détricotasses moins. If you had more patience, you would unravel less.
il détricotât Il serait triste si il détricotât son projet. He would be sad if he unraveled his project.
elle détricotât Elle serait déçue si elle détricotât tout son travail. She would be disappointed if she unraveled all her work.
on détricotât Si on détricotât plus vite, on finirait plus tôt. If one unraveled faster, one would finish earlier.
nous détricotions Si nous détricotions en groupe, ça serait plus amusant. If we unraveled together, it would be more fun.
vous détricotassiez Si vous ne détricotassiez pas autant, vous auriez plus de laine. If you didn’t unravel so much, you would have more wool.
ils détricotassent S’ils détricotassent avec précaution, ils éviteraient les erreurs. If they unraveled carefully, they would avoid mistakes.
elles détricotassent Si elles détricotassent le même pull, elles pourraient l’échanger. If they unraveled the same sweater, they could exchange it.

Other Conjugations for Détricoter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détricoter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Détricoter – 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.

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