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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb diffamer

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The English translation of the French verb diffamer is “to defame” or “to slander.” It is pronounced as “dee-fa-may” in its infinitive form.

The word diffamer comes from the Latin word diffamare, meaning “to spread rumors.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used ever since. In everyday French, it is most commonly used to describe the act of damaging someone’s reputation through false rumors or statements.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, diffamer is conjugated as follows:

  • Je diffamasse (I would defame)
  • Tu diffamasses (You would defame)
  • Il/Elle diffamât (He/She would defame)
  • Nous diffamassions (We would defame)
  • Vous diffamassiez (You would defame)
  • Ils/Elles diffamassent (They would defame)

Here are three simple examples of how diffamer is used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense in everyday French:

  1. Je ne crois pas qu’il diffamât son ancien collègue. (I don’t believe he would defame his former colleague.)
  2. Il fallait que tu ne diffamasses pas cette rumeur. (You shouldn’t have spread that rumor.)
  3. Si elle ne diffamassait pas autant, les gens ne parleraient pas d’elle. (If she didn’t slander so much, people wouldn’t talk about her.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je diffamasse Si j’étais riche, je diffamasse plus de gens. If I were rich, I would slander more people.
tu diffamasses Si tu arrêtais de diffamer, tu serais plus aimé. If you stopped spreading rumors, you would be more loved.
il diffamât Il serait mieux si il diffamât moins. It would be better if he slandered less.
elle diffamât Elle se sentirait mieux si elle diffamât moins. She would feel better if she slandered less.
on diffamât Si on ne diffamât pas, on éviterait des conflits. If one did not spread rumors, one would avoid conflicts.
nous diffamassions Si nous ne diffamassions pas les autres, nous serions plus gentils. If we did not slander others, we would be kinder.
vous diffamassiez Si vous diffamassiez plus, vous créeriez des problèmes. If you spread rumors more, you would create problems.
ils diffamassent S’ils diffamassent moins, ils auraient moins d’ennemis. If they slandered less, they would have fewer enemies.
elles diffamassent Si elles ne diffamassent pas, elles auraient plus d’amis. If they did not spread rumors, they would have more friends.

Other Conjugations for Diffamer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb diffamer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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