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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb distancier

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The English translation of the French verb distancier is “to distance.” It is pronounced as “dee-stahn-see-ay.”

The verb distancier comes from the French word “distance,” which originated from the Latin word “distantia,” meaning “a standing apart.” In everyday French, distancier is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three examples of how distancier can be used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Je voulais que tu te distancies de lui. (I wanted you to distance yourself from him.)
  2. Il fallait que nous nous distancions de ces idées. (We had to distance ourselves from these ideas.)
  3. Elle souhaitait que tu te distancies de cette situation. (She wished for you to distance yourself from this situation.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je distanciasse Si j’étais plus rapide, je distanciasse. If I were faster, I would distance myself.
tu distanciasses Si tu te concentrais plus, tu distanciasses mieux. If you focused more, you would distance yourself better.
il distanciât Il serait mieux s’il distanciât plus souvent. It would be better if he distanced himself more often.
elle distanciât Elle serait plus en sécurité si elle distanciât. She would be safer if she distanced herself.
on distanciât Si on distanciât les uns des autres, on serait plus sûr. If one distanced themselves from each other, they would be safer.
nous distanciassions Si nous distanciassions ensemble, ça serait plus facile. If we distanced ourselves together, it would be easier.
vous distanciassiez Si vous distanciassiez plus, vous vous détendriez. If you distanced yourselves more, you would relax.
ils distanciassent S’ils distanciassent, ils éviteraient les conflits. If they distanced themselves, they would avoid conflicts.
elles distanciassent Si elles se distanciassent, elles se sentiraient mieux. If they distanced themselves, they would feel better.

Other Conjugations for Distancier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb distancier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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