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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décacheter

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The English translation of the French verb décacheter is “to unseal” or “to open”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-ka-shuh-tay”.

The origin of the word décacheter comes from the French prefix “dé-” meaning “undo” and the word “cacheter” meaning “to seal”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

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

  1. Il fallait que je décachetasse la lettre avant de la lire. (It was necessary for me to unseal the letter before reading it.)

  2. Je doutais qu’il décachetât le paquet seul. (I doubted that he would unseal the package alone.)

  3. Nous aimerions que vous décachetiez les documents avant la réunion. (We would like you to unseal the documents before the meeting.)

English translations:

  1. It was necessary for me to unseal the letter before reading it.

  2. I doubted that he would unseal the package alone.

  3. We would like you to unseal the documents before the meeting.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décachetasse Je me demandais si je décachetasse mes lettres. I was wondering if I opened my letters.
tu décachetasses Tu n’étais pas sûr si tu décachetasses ton courrier. You were not sure if you opened your mail.
il décachetât Il serait surpris si il décachetât toutes ses factures. He would be surprised if he opened all his bills.
elle décachetât Elle n’aurait pas le temps si elle décachetât toutes ses lettres. She would not have the time if she opened all her letters.
on décachetât Si on décachetât le colis, on verrait ce qu’il y a dedans. If one opened the package, one would see what is inside.
nous décachetassions Si nous décachetassions tous les courriers, nous pourrions jeter les publicités. If we opened all the mail, we could throw away the ads.
vous décachetassiez Si vous décachetassiez les enveloppes, vous pourriez les réutiliser. If you opened the envelopes, you could reuse them.
ils décachetassent S’ils décachetassent toutes les lettres, ils trouveraient la réponse. If they opened all the letters, they would find the answer.
elles décachetassent Si elles décachetassent leur courrier, elles ne seraient pas en retard. If they opened their mail, they wouldn’t be late.

Other Conjugations for Décacheter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décacheter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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