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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décaver

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The English translation of the French verb décaver is “to empty out” or “to drain”. It is pronounced as “day-ka-vay”.

The word décaver comes from the Old French word “es-caver” which means “to dig out”. Over time, it evolved to become “décaver” in modern French.

In everyday French, décaver is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que je décavasse la baignoire avant que mes invités n’arrivent. (I had to drain the bathtub before my guests arrived.)
  2. Nous aurions dû décaver tous les stocks avant la fin de l’année dernière. (We should have emptied out all the stocks before the end of last year.)
  3. Il était important que tu décavasses les poubelles régulièrement pour éviter les mauvaises odeurs. (It was important for you to empty out the trash cans regularly to avoid bad smells.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décavasse S’il fallait que je décavasse tous les jours, je serais épuisé. If I had to spend all my money every day, I would be exhausted.
tu décavasses Si tu décavasses moins, tu aurais plus d’argent. If you spent less money, you would have more.
il décavât Il serait heureux si il décavât moins souvent. He would be happy if he spent money less often.
elle décavât Si elle décavât sa carte de crédit, elle aurait des problèmes. If she maxed out her credit card, she would have problems.
on décavât Si on décavât ensemble, on aurait plus de plaisir. If we spent money together, we would have more fun.
nous décavassions Si nous décavassions tout le temps, on serait toujours pauvre. If we spent money all the time, we would always be poor.
vous décavassiez Si vous décavassiez moins, vous seriez plus économes. If you spent less money, you would be more frugal.
ils décavassent S’ils décavassent à chaque fois, ils n’auraient plus d’argent. If they spent money every time, they would have no more.
elles décavassent Si elles décavassent ensemble, elles seraient vite ruinées. If they spent money together, they would be quickly ruined.

Other Conjugations for Décaver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décaver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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