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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb disjoncter

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The English translation of the French verb disjoncter is “to trip (a circuit breaker)” or “to malfunction.” The infinitive form is pronounced “deez-johnk-tay.”

Disjoncter comes from the French word “jonction,” meaning “junction” or “connection,” and the prefix “dis-,” which indicates negation or separation. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a verb tense used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of disjoncter used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je débranche l’ordinateur avant qu’il ne disjoncte. (I had to unplug the computer before it tripped.)

  2. J’espérais que le courant ne disjonctât pas pendant la tempête. (I was hoping the power wouldn’t go out during the storm.)

  3. Elle craignait que le four ne disjonctât encore une fois. (She was afraid that the oven would malfunction again.)

English translations:

  1. I had to unplug the computer before it tripped.

  2. I was hoping the power wouldn’t go out during the storm.

  3. She was afraid that the oven would malfunction again.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je disjonctasse Il serait temps que je disjonctasse. It’s about time I lost it.
tu disjonctasses Si tu travaillais moins, tu disjonctasses moins. If you worked less, you wouldn’t freak out as much.
il disjonctât Il serait étonné si il disjonctât. He would be surprised if he lost it.
elle disjonctât Elle serait déçue si elle disjonctât en public. She would be disappointed if she lost it in public.
on disjonctât Si on disjonctât trop souvent, on perdrait le contrôle. If one lost it too often, one would lose control.
nous disjonctassions Si nous disjonctassions ensemble, on ferait peur aux autres. If we lost it together, we would scare others.
vous disjonctassiez Si vous disjonctassiez moins, vous seriez plus calme. If you didn’t lose it as much, you would be calmer.
ils disjonctassent S’ils disjonctassent ensemble, ça serait dangereux. If they lost it together, it would be dangerous.
elles disjonctassent Si elles disjonctassent plus souvent, elles auraient des ennuis. If they lost it more often, they would get in trouble.

Other Conjugations for Disjoncter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb disjoncter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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