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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décaniller

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The English translation of the French verb décaniller is “to run away” or “to flee”. It is pronounced “day-kah-nee-yay” in the infinitive form.

Décaniller comes from the French word “canille”, meaning “leg”, and the prefix “de-“, which can indicate a reversal or removal of something. Therefore, décaniller literally means “to remove one’s legs” or “to take off running”.

In everyday French, décaniller is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais peur qu’il décanille avant que je puisse le retenir. (I was afraid he would run away before I could stop him.)
  2. Il était essentiel que nous ne décanillions pas et que nous restions unis. (It was essential that we didn’t run away and that we stayed united.)
  3. Je voulais qu’elle décanille pour qu’on n’ait pas à la voir pleurer. (I wanted her to run away so we wouldn’t have to see her cry.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décanillasse Je serais heureux si je décanillasse un bon repas. I would be happy if I had a good meal.
tu décanillasses Si tu travaillais plus, tu décanillasses plus de succès. If you worked more, you would have more success.
il décanillât Il serait fier s’il décanillât le record. He would be proud if he beat the record.
elle décanillât Elle serait surprise si elle décanillât avec ses amis. She would be surprised if she hung out with her friends.
on décanillât Si on décanillât vers la droite, on arriverait plus vite. If one turned right, one would arrive faster.
nous décanillassions Si nous décanillassions ensemble, nous serions plus forts. If we hung out together, we would be stronger.
vous décanillassiez Si vous décanillassiez plus souvent, vous auriez plus d’énergie. If you hung out more often, you would have more energy.
ils décanillassent S’ils décanillassent moins, ils dormiraient mieux. If they hung out less, they would sleep better.
elles décanillassent Si elles décanillassent tous les jours, elles seraient plus proches. If they hung out every day, they would be closer.

Other Conjugations for Décaniller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décaniller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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