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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décambuter

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The English translation of the French verb décambuter is “to tumble” or “to fall down”. It is pronounced as “day-kahm-byoo-tay” in the infinitive form.

The word décambuter comes from the Old French word “deschambuter” which means “to stumble” or “to fall down”. The prefix “dé-” means “down” and the root word “cambuter” is derived from the Latin word “cambutare” which means “to walk with difficulty”. In everyday French, décambuter is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are 3 simple examples of décambuter used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je décambutasse pour éviter de tomber. (I had to tumble to avoid falling.)
  2. Nous avions peur que tu décambutasses en descendant les escaliers. (We were afraid that you would tumble when going down the stairs.)
  3. Il se pourrait qu’ils décambutassent en jouant au football. (They might have tumbled while playing football.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décambutasse Si j’étais plus agile, je décambutasse plus facilement. If I were more agile, I would walk more easily.
tu décambutasses Si tu t’entraînais plus, tu décambutasses plus vite. If you trained more, you would walk faster.
il décambutât Il serait surpris si il décambutât dans la rue. He would be surprised if he walked down the street.
elle décambutât Elle serait épuisée si elle décambutât longtemps. She would be exhausted if she walked for a long time.
on décambutât Si on décambutât en montagne, on serait fatigué. If one walked in the mountains, one would be tired.
nous décambutions Si nous décambutions tous les jours, nous serions en forme. If we walked every day, we would be in shape.
vous décambutiez Si vous décambutiez plus souvent, vous seriez plus rapide. If you walked more often, you would be faster.
ils décambutaient S’ils décambutaient moins brusquement, ils ne tomberaient pas. If they walked less abruptly, they wouldn’t fall.
elles décambutaient Si elles décambutaient ensemble, ça serait amusant. If they walked together, it would be fun.

Other Conjugations for Décambuter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décambuter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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