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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb digresser

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The English translation of the French verb digresser is “to digress” or “to go off on a tangent.” The infinitive form of digresser is pronounced “dee-greh-say.”

The word digresser comes from the Latin word “digressus” which means “to deviate” or “to go off course.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and is derived from the verb “gresser” which means “to advance” or “to proceed.”

In everyday French, digresser is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a mood used to express doubt, possibility, or uncertainty. It is formed by using the subjonctif imparfait conjugation of the auxiliary verb “être” or “avoir” followed by the past participle of digresser, which is “digressé.”

Here are three examples of digresser used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je digresse un peu pour expliquer mon point de vue. (I had to digress a little to explain my point of view.)
  2. Je souhaitais que tu ne digresses pas trop pendant ta présentation. (I wished that you wouldn’t digress too much during your presentation.)
  3. Il était important que nous ne digressions pas du sujet principal. (It was important that we didn’t digress from the main topic.)

In these examples, you can see that digresser is used to express the speaker’s desire or need for someone to not go off topic or to stay focused. It can also be used to express a wish or request for oneself to stay on track.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je digressasse Si j’apprenais moins, je digressasse moins. If I learned less, I would digress less.
tu digressasses Si tu n’étais pas là, tu digressasses moins. If you weren’t here, you would digress less.
il digressât Si il ne parlait pas, il digressât moins. If he didn’t talk, he would digress less.
elle digressât Si elle ne lisait pas, elle digressât moins. If she didn’t read, she would digress less.
on digressât Si on n’écoutait pas, on digressât moins. If one didn’t listen, one would digress less.
nous digressassions Si nous étions plus attentifs, nous digressassions moins. If we were more attentive, we would digress less.
vous digressassiez Si vous ne me suiviez pas, vous digressassiez moins. If you didn’t follow me, you would digress less.
ils digressassent Si ils parlaient moins, ils digressassent moins. If they talked less, they would digress less.
elles digressassent Si elles suivaient plus, elles digressassent moins. If they followed more, they would digress less.

Other Conjugations for Digresser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb digresser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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