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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb discontinuer

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The English translation of the French verb discontinuer is “to discontinue” or “to stop.” The infinitive form of discontinuer is pronounced “dees-kon-tyu-ay.”

The word discontinuer is derived from the Latin word “discontinuare,” which means “to interrupt.” It entered the French language in the 16th century.

In everyday French, discontinuer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is typically used after verbs such as “vouloir” (to want), “pouvoir” (to be able to), and “devoir” (to have to).

Examples:

  1. Je voulais qu’il discontinuât ses études pour travailler. (I wanted him to discontinue his studies and work.)
  2. Il fallait que tu discontinuasses de fumer pour ta santé. (You had to discontinue smoking for your health.)
  3. Nous espérions qu’ils discontinuassent leur grève pour éviter les pertes financières. (We hoped they would discontinue their strike to avoid financial losses.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je discontinuasse Je voudrais que je discontinuasse toutes les mauvaises habitudes. I wish I would discontinue all bad habits.
tu discontinuasses Si tu avais plus de volonté, tu discontinuasses plus facilement. If you had more willpower, you would discontinue more easily.
il discontinuât Il serait mieux pour sa santé s’il discontinuât de fumer. It would be better for his health if he discontinued smoking.
elle discontinuât Elle continuerait à étudier même si elle discontinuât dans son travail. She would continue studying even if she discontinued her job.
on discontinuât Si on discontinuât de gaspiller, on économiserait de l’argent. If one discontinued wasting, one would save money.
nous discontinuassions Nous ne souhaitons pas que nous discontinuassions notre relation. We don’t want to discontinue our relationship.
vous discontinuassiez Si vous discontinuassiez vos études, vous pourriez regretter plus tard. If you discontinued your studies, you might regret it later.
ils discontinuassent Il est important que ils discontinuassent leur dispute. It’s important that they discontinue their argument.
elles discontinuassent Si elles ne discontinuassent pas de se plaindre, rien ne changerait. If they didn’t discontinue complaining, nothing would change.

Other Conjugations for Discontinuer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb discontinuer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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