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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décarcasser

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The English translation of the French verb décarcasser is “to rack one’s brains” or “to do one’s best”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “deh-kar-ka-say”.

Décarcasser comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “to undo”) and the word “carcasse” (meaning “bones” or “body”). It originated from the medieval French word “arcasser” which meant “to pull on the bowstring” and evolved to mean “to make an effort” or “to strain”. In modern French, it is most often used in an informal or colloquial context to express the idea of trying very hard or struggling to find a solution.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, décarcasser is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que je me décarcasse pour trouver une solution. (I had to rack my brains to find a solution.)

  2. J’aurais aimé que tu te décarcasses davantage pour cet examen. (I wish you had done your best for this exam.)

  3. Il fallait que nous nous décarcassions pour terminer le projet à temps. (We had to do our best to finish the project on time.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décarcassasse Si je décarcassasse plus, je réussirais mieux. If I worked harder, I would do better.
tu décarcassasses Si tu te décarcassasses, tu aurais un meilleur résultat. If you put in more effort, you would have a better outcome.
il décarcassât S’il décarcassât un peu plus, il serait moins fatigué. If he worked a little harder, he would be less tired.
elle décarcassât Si elle se décarcassât davantage, elle pourrait réussir. If she put in more effort, she could succeed.
on décarcassât S’il fallait se décarcasser, on y arriverait. If one had to work hard, one would succeed.
nous décarcassassions Si nous nous décarcassassions, nous réussirions. If we worked hard, we would succeed.
vous décarcassassiez Si vous vous décarcassassiez un peu plus, vous seriez moins stressés. If you put in more effort, you would be less stressed.
ils décarcassassent S’ils décarcassassent un peu plus, ils auraient de meilleurs résultats. If they worked a little harder, they would have better results.
elles décarcassassent Si elles se décarcassassent ensemble, elles pourraient réussir. If they worked hard together, they could succeed.

Other Conjugations for Décarcasser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décarcasser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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