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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb diminuer

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The English translation of the French verb diminuer is “to decrease” or “to diminish.” It is pronounced “dee-mee-nyew-eh.”

The word diminuer comes from the Latin word “diminuere,” meaning “to lessen” or “to make smaller.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express doubt, wishes, or hypothetical situations in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Je voulais que tu diminuasses ton temps de travail. (I wanted you to decrease your working hours.)

  2. Il fallait que nous diminuions nos dépenses pour économiser de l’argent. (We had to decrease our expenses to save money.)

  3. Elle aurait aimé que les prix diminuassent afin de pouvoir acheter plus de choses. (She would have liked the prices to decrease so she could buy more things.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je diminuasse J’ai peur que je diminuasse la qualité. I’m afraid that I would decrease the quality.
tu diminuasses Je ne veux pas que tu diminuasses ta motivation. I don’t want you to decrease your motivation.
il diminuât Il serait mieux qu’il diminuât ses dépenses. It would be better if he reduced his expenses.
elle diminuât Je pense qu’elle serait plus heureuse si elle diminuât ses heures de travail. I think she would be happier if she reduced her work hours.
on diminuât Si on diminuât le nombre de personnes, on pourrait économiser de l’argent. If we reduced the number of people, we could save money.
nous diminuassions Si nous diminuassions notre consommation d’énergie, nous pourrions réduire notre empreinte carbone. If we reduced our energy consumption, we could reduce our carbon footprint.
vous diminuassiez Je vous conseille que vous diminuassiez le volume de la musique. I advise you to lower the volume of the music.
ils diminuassent J’ai peur qu’ils diminuassent la qualité de leur travail. I’m afraid they would decrease the quality of their work.
elles diminuassent Si elles diminuassent leur temps d’écran, elles dormiraient mieux. If they decreased their screen time, they would sleep better.

Other Conjugations for Diminuer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb diminuer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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