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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décadrer

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The English translation of the French verb décadrer is “to decenter” or “to unsettle.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-kah-dreh.”

The word décadrer comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” meaning “un-” or “dis-” and the verb “cadrer” meaning “to frame” or “to fit.” It’s most often used in every day French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

  1. Je souhaitais que tu décadrasses ta photo avant de l’accrocher. (I wished that you would decenter your photo before hanging it.)
  2. Il fallait que nous décadrions nos idées pour voir les choses sous un autre angle. (We had to decenter our ideas to see things from a different perspective.)
  3. Elle préférait que je décadrasse mes priorités pour passer plus de temps avec ma famille. (She preferred that I decenter my priorities to spend more time with my family.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décadrasse Si j’étais plus flexible, je décadrasse facilement. If I were more flexible, I would easily step out of line.
tu décadrasse Si tu t’entraînais plus, tu décadrasse moins. If you trained more, you would stay in line less.
il décadrasse Il ne serait pas surpris si il décadrasse souvent. He wouldn’t be surprised if he stepped out of line often.
elle décadrasse Elle serait désolée si elle décadrasse trop souvent. She would be sorry if she stepped out of line too often.
on décadrasse Si on décadrasse moins, on serait plus organisé. If one stepped out of line less, one would be more organized.
nous décradrions Si nous décradrions plus souvent, nous aurions plus de succès. If we stepped out of line more often, we would have more success.
vous décadrassez Si vous vous relâchiez un peu, vous décadrassez moins. If you relaxed a little, you would step out of line less.
ils décadrent S’ils décadrent trop souvent, ils auront des problèmes. If they step out of line too often, they will have problems.
elles décadrent Si elles décadrent en public, ça pourrait être gênant. If they step out of line in public, it could be embarrassing.

Other Conjugations for Décadrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décadrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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