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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb développer

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The English translation of the French verb développer is “to develop.” It is pronounced as “deh-veh-loh-pay.”

Développer comes from the Old French word “desveloper,” which is derived from the Latin word “dis-” meaning “apart” and “volup,” meaning “to wrap.” This verb originally referred to the process of unwrapping or unfolding something, but it later evolved to also mean “to grow” or “to expand.”

In everyday French, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense of développer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in conjunction with “si” (if) clauses.

Here are three simple examples of développer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Si j’étais plus courageux, je développerais mes compétences en public speaking. (If I were braver, I would develop my public speaking skills.)
  2. Il fallait que tu développasses ton idée avant de la présenter à l’équipe. (You had to develop your idea before presenting it to the team.)
  3. Nous aurions aimé que les enfants développassent leur créativité en jouant à des jeux de construction. (We would have liked the children to develop their creativity by playing construction games.)

English translations:

  1. If I were braver, I would develop my public speaking skills.
  2. You had to develop your idea before presenting it to the team.
  3. We would have liked the children to develop their creativity by playing construction games.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je développasse Si j’étais plus motivé, je développasse mieux mes idées. If I were more motivated, I would develop my ideas better.
tu développasses Si tu avais plus de temps, tu développasses davantage. If you had more time, you would develop more.
il développât Il réussirait mieux si il développât ses compétences. He would do better if he developed his skills.
elle développât Elle serait plus efficace si elle développât ses talents. She would be more effective if she developed her talents.
on développât Si on se développât davantage, on serait plus compétitif. If one developed more, one would be more competitive.
nous développassions Si nous développassions ensemble, on irait plus loin. If we developed together, we would go further.
vous développassiez Si vous développassiez mieux votre produit, vous vendriez plus. If you developed your product better, you would sell more.
ils développassent S’ils travaillaient plus, ils développassent plus de projets. If they worked more, they would develop more projects.
elles développassent Si elles se concentraient plus, elles développassent plus vite. If they focused more, they would develop faster.

Other Conjugations for Développer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb développer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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