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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décentrer

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The English translation of the French verb décentrer is “to decentralize” or “to shift away from the center”. The infinitive form, décentrer, is pronounced “day-son-tray”.

Décentrer comes from the French prefix “dé-“, meaning “away” or “off”, and the word “centre” which comes from the Latin “centrum” meaning “center”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of décentrer being used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je me décentre de mes préoccupations habituelles.
    Translation: I had to shift away from my usual concerns.

  2. Nous voulions que vous décentriez votre attention des problèmes du passé.
    Translation: We wanted you to shift your focus away from past issues.

  3. Il était important que je décentre mon regard de ce qui me tracassait.
    Translation: It was important for me to shift my gaze away from what was bothering me.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décentrasse Si je me concentrais mieux, je décentrasse plus facilement. If I focused better, I would decenter more easily.
tu décentrasses Si tu te relaxais davantage, tu décentrasses mieux. If you relaxed more, you would decenter better.
il décentrât S’il n’avait pas peur, il décentrât ses pensées. If he weren’t afraid, he would decenter his thoughts.
elle décentrât Elle serait plus épanouie si elle décentrât son attention. She would be happier if she decentered her attention.
on décentrât Si on décentrât nos propres points de vue, on pourrait mieux comprendre les autres. If one decentered our own points of view, one could better understand others.
nous décentrassions Si nous décentrassions nos préférences, nous pourrions trouver un compromis. If we decentered our preferences, we could find a compromise.
vous décentrassiez Si vous décentrassiez vos émotions, vous seriez plus objectif. If you decentered your emotions, you would be more objective.
ils décentrassent S’ils apprenaient à décentrer leur perspective, ils seraient plus empathiques. If they learned to decenter their perspective, they would be more empathetic.
elles décentrassent Si elles décentrassent leur point de vue, elles pourraient mieux communiquer. If they decentered their point of view, they could communicate better.

Other Conjugations for Décentrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décentrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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