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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb discuter

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The English translation of the French verb discuter is “to discuss.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “dis-kuh-tey.”

The word discuter comes from the Latin word “discutere,” meaning “to shake apart” or “to examine.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and has been in use ever since.

In everyday French, discuter is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or thought. It is used after certain conjunctions or expression of doubt, such as “bien que” (although), “sans que” (without), “il se peut que” (it may be that), etc.

  1. Je souhaitais que nous discutions de nos projets avant de prendre une décision. (I wished for us to discuss our plans before making a decision.)

  2. Il était important que nous discutions de nos différences pour trouver un terrain d’entente. (It was important for us to discuss our differences in order to find common ground.)

  3. Je ne pensais pas que nous discutions de ce sujet encore une fois. (I didn’t think we were discussing this topic again.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je discutasse Si j’étais là, je discutasse avec toi. If I were there, I would discuss with you.
tu discutasses Si tu avais du temps, tu discutasses avec moi. If you had time, you would discuss with me.
il discutât Il serait content si il discutât avec elle. He would be happy if he discussed with her.
elle discutât Elle serait surprise si elle discutât avec lui. She would be surprised if she discussed with him.
on discutât Si on discutât plus, on pourrait trouver une solution. If one discussed more, one could find a solution.
nous discutassions Si nous discutassions ensemble, nous trouverions un accord. If we discussed together, we would find an agreement.
vous discutassiez Si vous discutassiez moins, vous seriez plus productif. If you discussed less, you would be more productive.
ils discutassent S’ils discutassent plus calmement, ils se comprendraient mieux. If they discussed more calmly, they would understand each other better.
elles discutassent Si elles discutassent plus, elles auraient plus de choses en commun. If they discussed more, they would have more in common.

Other Conjugations for Discuter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb discuter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Discuter – 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.

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