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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb divaguer

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The English translation of the French verb divaguer is “to digress” or “to wander”. It is pronounced “dee-vah-guh-ay”.

The language origin of divaguer comes from the Latin word “divagari”, which means “to wander”. In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a literary tense used to express a possibility or uncertainty in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je divaguasse un peu pour trouver la solution. (I had to digress a bit to find the solution.)
  2. Elle souhaitait que je ne divaguasse pas trop pendant le discours. (She wished that I wouldn’t wander too much during the speech.)
  3. Nous aurions aimé que tu ne divaguasses pas sur des sujets sans importance. (We would have liked you not to digress on unimportant topics.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je divaguasse Je serais plus heureux si je divaguasse moins. I would be happier if I rambled less.
tu divaguasses Si tu divaguasses moins, tu comprendrais mieux. If you rambled less, you would understand better.
il divaguât Il serait plus concentré s’il divaguât moins. He would be more focused if he rambled less.
elle divaguât Si elle divaguât moins, elle serait plus attentive. If she rambled less, she would be more attentive.
on divaguât Si on divaguât moins, on ne perdrait pas le fil. If one rambled less, one wouldn’t lose track.
nous divaguassions Si nous divaguassions ensemble, nous serions confus. If we rambled together, we would be confused.
vous divaguassiez Si vous divaguassiez moins, vous seriez plus précis. If you rambled less, you would be more precise.
ils divaguassent S’ils divaguassent moins, ils auraient plus de temps. If they rambled less, they would have more time.
elles divaguassent Si elles divaguassent moins, elles seraient plus productives. If they rambled less, they would be more productive.

Other Conjugations for Divaguer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb divaguer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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