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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dicter

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The English translation of the French verb dicter is “to dictate.” The infinitive form is pronounced “dee-ktay.”

The word dicter comes from the Latin word dictare, which means “to say repeatedly” or “to dictate.” It entered the French language in the 12th century.

In everyday French, the verb dicter is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense. This tense is used to express a possibility or uncertainty in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of the verb. For dicter, it would be “avoir dicté” or “être dicté.”

Here are three simple examples of dicter in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je dictasse la lettre avant midi. (I had to dictate the letter before noon.)
  2. Elle doutait que son mari lui eût dicté les mots justes. (She doubted that her husband had dictated the right words to her.)
  3. Nous craignions que le professeur ne nous eût dicté trop de devoirs. (We were afraid that the teacher had dictated too much homework to us.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dictasse Si je dictasse plus lentement, ce serait plus clair. If I dictated more slowly, it would be clearer.
tu dictasses Si tu dictasses plus fort, j’entendrais mieux. If you dictated louder, I would hear better.
il dictât Il serait content si il dictât plus d’informations. He would be happy if he dictated more information.
elle dictât Elle serait surprise si elle dictât avec précision. She would be surprised if she dictated accurately.
on dictât Si on dictât moins de devoirs, on aurait plus de temps libre. If one assigned less homework, one would have more free time.
nous dictassions Si nous dictassions à tour de rôle, ça serait plus équitable. If we took turns dictating, it would be more fair.
vous dictassiez Si vous dictassiez plus clairement, je comprendrais mieux. If you dictated more clearly, I would understand better.
ils dictassent S’ils dictassent moins de mots, ça serait plus facile à écrire. If they dictated fewer words, it would be easier to write.
elles dictassent Si elles dictassent sur le même sujet, ça serait redondant. If they dictated on the same topic, it would be redundant.

Other Conjugations for Dicter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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