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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détromper

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The English translation of the French verb détromper is “to disillusion” or “to disabuse”. It is pronounced as “day-trom-pay” in its infinitive form.

The language origin of détromper can be traced back to the Old French word “tromper” which means “to deceive” or “to trick”. The prefix “dé-” adds a negative connotation to the verb, making it mean “to undo” or “to remove”. Hence, détromper can be interpreted as “to remove deception” or “to dissuade from a false belief”.

In everyday French, détromper is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used with expressions of doubt, disbelief, or skepticism.

Example 1:
Il fallait que je le détrompe avant qu’il ne commette une erreur.
(I had to disabuse him before he made a mistake.)

Example 2:
Elle doutait que son mari l’ait détrompée sur ses intentions.
(She doubted that her husband had disabused her of his intentions.)

Example 3:
Nous espérions que les nouvelles nous détromperaient sur la situation.
(We were hoping that the news would disillusion us about the situation.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je détrompasse J’aurais aimé que je me détrompasse. I wish I could have been wrong.
tu détrompasses Si tu avais su, tu te détrompasses. If you had known, you would have been mistaken.
il détrompât Je serais déçu s’il détrompât sa promesse. I would be disappointed if he broke his promise.
elle détrompât Elle serait rassurée si elle détrompât mon hypothèse. She would be relieved if she proved my hypothesis wrong.
on détrompât Il ne serait pas convaincu si on détrompât ses croyances. He wouldn’t be convinced if someone proved his beliefs wrong.
nous détrompassions Nous serions plus vigilants si nous nous détrompassions plus souvent. We would be more cautious if we were wrong more often.
vous détrompassiez Si vous vous détrompassiez, vous comprendriez mieux. If you were wrong, you would understand better.
ils détrompassent Si ils se détrompassent, tout serait différent. If they were wrong, everything would be different.
elles détrompassent Si elles se détrompassent, elles auraient plus de succès. If they were wrong, they would have more success.

Other Conjugations for Détromper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détromper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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