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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb durer

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The English translation of the French verb durer is “to last” or “to endure.” The infinitive form, durer, is pronounced as “doo-ray” with the stress on the second syllable.

The word durer comes from the Latin word “durare” meaning “to harden” or “to endure.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which indicates an action that is uncertain or hypothetical in the past.

Examples of durer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je dure encore un peu plus longtemps. (It was necessary that I lasted a little longer.)

  2. Il était possible que la réunion dure toute la journée. (It was possible that the meeting lasted all day.)

  3. Nous voulions que le voyage dure au moins deux semaines. (We wanted the trip to last at least two weeks.)

English translations:

  1. I had to last a little longer.
  2. The meeting could have lasted all day.
  3. We wanted the trip to last at least two weeks.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je durasse Si j’avais plus de temps, je durasse plus longtemps. If I had more time, I would last longer.
tu durasses Si tu dormais plus, tu durasses moins longtemps. If you slept more, you would last less time.
il durât Il serait content s’il durât plus longtemps. He would be happy if he lasted longer.
elle durât Elle serait surprise si elle durât plus de temps. She would be surprised if she lasted longer.
on durât Si on dormait plus, on durât moins longtemps. If one slept more, one would last less time.
nous durassions Si nous parlions moins fort, nous durassions plus longtemps. If we spoke softer, we would last longer.
vous durassiez Si vous couriez plus vite, vous durassiez moins longtemps. If you ran faster, you would last less time.
ils durassent S’ils mangeaient moins, ils durassent plus longtemps. If they ate less, they would last longer.
elles durassent Si elles travaillaient moins, elles durassent plus longtemps. If they worked less, they would last longer.

Other Conjugations for Durer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb durer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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