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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dorer

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The English translation of the French verb dorer is “to gild” or “to gild over.” The infinitive form, dorer, is pronounced “doh-ray.”

The word dorer comes from the Latin word “deaurare,” which means “to gild” or “to cover in gold.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express subjective actions or possibilities in the past.

Three simple examples of dorer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je dore le cadre avant de le mettre en vente. (It was necessary for me to gild the frame before putting it up for sale.)
  2. Elle souhaitait que nous dorrions les lettres pour les rendre plus élégantes. (She wished for us to gild the letters to make them more elegant.)
  3. Ils auraient préféré que vous doriez le gâteau avec du vrai or. (They would have preferred for you to gild the cake with real gold.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dorasse Je voudrais que je dorasse toutes les nuits. I wish I would sleep every night.
tu dorasses Je me demandais si tu dorasses bien. I was wondering if you were sleeping well.
il dorât Il serait content si il dorât sous les étoiles. He would be happy if he slept under the stars.
elle dorât J’adorerais qu’elle dorât avec moi. I would love for her to sleep with me.
on dorât Il serait bien si on dorât tôt. It would be good if we slept early.
nous dorassions Nous souhaiterions que nous dorassions assez. We would like to sleep enough.
vous dorassiez Je me demande si vous dorassiez bien pour votre santé. I wonder if you slept well for your health.
ils dorassent Il serait bien s’ils dorassent ensemble. It would be good if they slept together.
elles dorassent J’aimerais que elles dorassent avec moi. I would like for them to sleep with me.

Other Conjugations for Dorer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dorer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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