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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb discutailler

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The English translation of the French verb discutailler is “to argue” or “to quarrel”. The infinitive form of discutailler is pronounced as “dee-skoo-tah-yay”.

The language origin of discutailler comes from the Old French word “discuter” which means “to discuss” or “to debate”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a past tense used to express potential or hypothetical situations.

Here are three simple examples of discutailler in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que nous discutaillions pour trouver une solution.
    (We had to argue to find a solution.)

  2. Elle voulait que je ne discutaillasse pas avec mon frère.
    (She wanted me to not argue with my brother.)

  3. Il serait mieux que vous discutailliez calmement au lieu de crier.
    (It would be better if you argued calmly instead of shouting.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je discutaillasse Si j’écoutais plus, je discutaillasse moins. If I listened more, I would argue less.
tu discutaillasses Si tu discutaillasses moins, tu comprendrais mieux. If you argued less, you would understand better.
il discutaillât Il serait fâché si il discutaillât trop. He would be upset if he argued too much.
elle discutaillât Elle serait heureuse si elle discutaillât moins. She would be happy if she argued less.
on discutaillât Si on discutaillât moins, on se fâcherait moins. If one argued less, one would get upset less.
nous discutaillions Si nous discutaillions ensemble, nous trouverions une solution. If we discussed together, we would find a solution.
vous discutailliez Si vous discutailliez moins, vous seriez d’accord. If you argued less, you would agree.
ils discutaillaient S’ils ne discutaillaient pas autant, ils arriveraient à une conclusion. If they didn’t argue as much, they would come to a conclusion.
elles discutaillaient Si elles discutaillaient moins, elles seraient plus calmes. If they argued less, they would be calmer.

Other Conjugations for Discutailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb discutailler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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