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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb distancer

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The English translation of the French verb distancer is “to distance” or “to distance oneself”. The infinitive form is pronounced “dee-staa-nsay”.

Distancer comes from the French word “distance” which ultimately comes from the Latin word “distantia”, meaning “a difference in space”. In everyday French, distancer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

  1. Il fallait qu’elle se distançât de ses problèmes pour avancer. (She needed to distance herself from her problems in order to move forward.)

  2. Je lui conseillais souvent de se distancer de ses amis toxiques. (I often advised him to distance himself from his toxic friends.)

  3. Il aurait été préférable que nous nous soyons distancés de cette situation avant qu’elle ne devienne incontrôlable. (It would have been preferable for us to distance ourselves from this situation before it became uncontrollable.)

  4. It was necessary for her to distance herself from her problems in order to move forward.

  5. I often advised him to distance himself from his toxic friends.

  6. It would have been preferable for us to distance ourselves from this situation before it became uncontrollable.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je distance J’aurais fini si je distance assez de personnes. I would be done if I distanced enough people.
tu distances Si tu gagnes, tu distances ton adversaire. If you win, you distance your opponent.
il distance Il pourrait avoir une vie meilleure s’il distance ses erreurs. He could have a better life if he distances his mistakes.
elle distance Si elle distance sa famille, elle sera seule. If she distances her family, she will be alone.
on distance Si on distance les problèmes, on peut réussir. If one distances the problems, one can succeed.
nous distancions Si nous distancions nos amis, ils se sentiront trahis. If we distance our friends, they will feel betrayed.
vous distanciez Si vous distanciez vos émotions, vous serez plus fort. If you distance your emotions, you will be stronger.
ils distancent S’ils distancent les risques, ils auront plus de succès. If they distance the risks, they will have more success.
elles distancent Si elles distancent leurs peurs, elles avanceront. If they distance their fears, they will move forward.

Other Conjugations for Distancer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb distancer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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