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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb disputer

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The English translation of the French verb disputer is “to dispute” or “to argue”. The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “dee-spoo-tay”.

The word disputer comes from the Latin word disputare, meaning “to discuss” or “to argue”. In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples:

  1. Si je n’avais pas eu cette dispute avec mon frère, nous serions toujours amis aujourd’hui. (If I hadn’t had that argument with my brother, we would still be friends today.)
  2. Elle aurait aimé que je la soutienne lors de cette dispute familiale. (She would have liked me to support her during that family argument.)
  3. S’il n’avait pas eu cette dispute avec son patron, il aurait encore son emploi. (If he hadn’t had that argument with his boss, he would still have his job.)

English translations:

  1. If I had not had this argument with my brother, we would still be friends today.
  2. She would have liked me to support her during that family argument.
  3. If he had not had that argument with his boss, he would still have his job.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je disputasse Je serais fâché si je disputasse avec toi. I would be mad if I argued with you.
tu disputasses Si tu te disputasses moins, tu serais plus calme. If you argued less, you would be calmer.
il disputât Il serait en colère s’il disputât avec elle. He would be angry if he argued with her.
elle disputât Si elle se disputât moins, elle serait plus heureuse. If she argued less, she would be happier.
on disputât Si on ne disputât pas autant, on serait plus détendu. If one didn’t argue so much, one would be more relaxed.
nous disputassions Si nous disputassions moins, nous aurions plus de paix. If we argued less, we would have more peace.
vous disputassiez Si vous vous disputassiez moins, vous seriez plus unis. If you argued less, you would be more united.
ils disputassent S’ils ne se disputassent pas autant, ils seraient plus heureux. If they didn’t argue so much, they would be happier.
elles disputassent Si elles ne se disputassent pas, elles seraient plus amies. If they didn’t argue, they would be better friends.

Other Conjugations for Disputer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb disputer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Disputer – 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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