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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb distinguer

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The English translation of the French verb distinguer is “to distinguish” or “to differentiate.” It is pronounced as “dees-tan-gay.”

The word distinguer comes from the Latin word “distinguere,” meaning “to separate,” and entered the French language in the 14th century. It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, with their English translations:

1) J’aurais aimé que tu distingues la vérité de la fiction. (I would have liked for you to distinguish the truth from fiction.)
2) Il fallait que nous distinguions toutes les nuances de la situation. (We had to distinguish all the nuances of the situation.)
3) Elle préférait que vous distinguiez ses talents plutôt que ses défauts. (She preferred that you distinguish her talents rather than her flaws.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je distinguasse Si j’avais des lunettes, je distinguasse mieux. If I had glasses, I would see better.
tu distinguasses Si tu continuaisses comme ça, tu distinguasses bien. If you continued like that, you would do well.
il distinguât Il serait heureux si il distinguât les couleurs. He would be happy if he could distinguish colors.
elle distinguât Elle serait fière si elle distinguât les détails. She would be proud if she could distinguish details.
on distinguât Si on distinguât les nuances, on comprendrait mieux. If one distinguished nuances, one would understand better.
nous distinguassions Si nous distinguassions les différences, nous apprendrions mieux. If we distinguished differences, we would learn better.
vous distinguassiez Si vous distinguassiez les mots, vous parleriez mieux. If you distinguished words, you would speak better.
ils distinguassent S’ils distinguassent la vérité, ils pourraient éviter les problèmes. If they distinguished the truth, they could avoid problems.
elles distinguassent Si elles distinguassent les objets, elles auraient moins de difficultés. If they distinguished objects, they would have less difficulties.

Other Conjugations for Distinguer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb distinguer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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