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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dîner

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of dîner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb dîner is “to dine” or “to have dinner.” The infinitive form is pronounced “dee-nay.”

The word dîner comes from the Old French word “disner,” meaning “to break one’s fast,” and ultimately derives from the Latin word “disjejunare,” meaning “to break one’s fast.”

In everyday French, the verb dîner is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in conjunction with other verbs to indicate the action of having dinner in the past.

Example 1: Il fallait que je dînasse avant de partir. (I had to have dinner before leaving.)
Example 2: Je souhaitais que nous dînions ensemble ce soir. (I wished that we would have dinner together tonight.)
Example 3: Elle voulait que je dînasse avec elle au restaurant. (She wanted me to have dinner with her at the restaurant.)

English translations:
Example 1: I had to have dinner before leaving.
Example 2: I wished that we would have dinner together tonight.
Example 3: She wanted me to have dinner with her at the restaurant.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dînasse Si je n’avais pas faim, je dînasse plus tard. If I wasn’t hungry, I would have dinner later.
tu dînasses Si tu n’avais pas cours, tu dînasses avec moi. If you didn’t have class, you would have dinner with me.
il dînât Il serait content si il dînât avec sa famille. He would be happy if he had dinner with his family.
elle dînât Elle serait surprise si elle dînât dans ce restaurant. She would be surprised if she had dinner in this restaurant.
on dînât Si on dînât plus tôt, on pourrait aller au cinéma après. If one had dinner earlier, one could go to the movies after.
nous dînassions Si nous dînassions tous ensemble, on s’amuserait bien. If we all had dinner together, we would have a good time.
vous dînassiez Si vous dînassiez avec nous, on pourrait mieux se connaître. If you had dinner with us, we could get to know each other better.
ils dînassent S’ils dînassent plus souvent, ils seraient en meilleure santé. If they had dinner more often, they would be healthier.
elles dînassent Si elles dînassent chez elles, elles économiseraient de l’argent. If they had dinner at home, they would save money.

Other Conjugations for Dîner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dîner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the dîner Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts