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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décauser

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The English translation of the French verb décauser is “to chatter” or “to gossip.” It is pronounced as “day-koh-zay.”

The origin of décauser can be traced back to the Old French word “caus,” which means “speech” or “conversation.” Over time, the prefix “de-” was added, giving the word its current meaning of “to talk excessively or idly.”

In everyday French, décauser is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is typically used after expressions such as “il est possible que” (it is possible that), “je doute que” (I doubt that), or “je souhaiterais que” (I would like that).

Here are three simple examples of décauser in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Il est possible que nous décausions toute la nuit. (It is possible that we chattered all night long.)
  2. Je doutais que mon amie décausât sur moi derrière mon dos. (I doubted that my friend would gossip about me behind my back.)
  3. Je souhaitais que mes parents ne décausent pas avec mes professeurs. (I wished that my parents would not talk excessively with my teachers.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décausasse J’aimerais que je décausasse moins. I wish I talked less.
tu décausasses Si tu décausasses moins, tu pourrais écouter plus. If you talked less, you could listen more.
il décausât Il aurait été mieux s’il décausât moins à cette fête. It would have been better if he talked less at that party.
elle décausât Si elle décausât un peu plus, je pourrais parler aussi. If she talked a little more, I could talk too.
on décausât Si on décausât plus lentement, on comprendrait mieux. If one talked more slowly, one would understand better.
nous décausassions Si nous décausassions ensemble, on pourrait trouver une solution. If we talked together, we could find a solution.
vous décausassiez Si vous décausassiez moins, vous pourriez écouter mieux. If you talked less, you could listen better.
ils décausassent S’ils décausassent en français, je comprendrais mieux. If they talked in French, I would understand better.
elles décausassent Si elles décausassent en même temps, ça serait bruyant. If they talked at the same time, it would be noisy.

Other Conjugations for Décauser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décauser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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