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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décamper

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The English translation of the French verb décamper is “to flee” or “to run away”. It is pronounced as “dey-kahm-pay”.

Décamper comes from the Latin word “decampare” which means “to break camp”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is a verb form used to express uncertainty or a hypothetical situation in the past.

Here are three simple examples of décamper in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense and their English translations:

1) Il fallait que je décampasse avant qu’il ne me trouve. (I had to flee before he found me.)

2) Nous aurions aimé que vous décampassiez avec nous. (We would have liked for you to flee with us.)

3) Si tu n’avais pas décampé, tu aurais été pris par la police. (If you hadn’t run away, you would have been caught by the police.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décampasse Je décampasse si j’étais en danger. I would leave if I were in danger.
tu décampasses Si tu partais, tu décampasses vite. If you left, you would leave quickly.
il décampât Il se calmerait si il décampât. He would calm down if he left.
elle décampât Elle ne serait pas contente si elle décampât avant le déjeuner. She wouldn’t be happy if she left before lunch.
on décampât Si on décampât maintenant, on serait en retard. If one left now, one would be late.
nous décampassions Si nous décampassions tôt, nous éviterions la pluie. If we left early, we would avoid the rain.
vous décampassiez Si vous décampassiez, vous éviteriez le conflit. If you left, you would avoid the conflict.
ils décampassent Ils seraient surpris si ils décampassent en pleine nuit. They would be surprised if they left in the middle of the night.
elles décampassent Si elles décampassent ensemble, elles ne seraient pas remarquées. If they left together, they wouldn’t be noticed.

Other Conjugations for Décamper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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