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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décercler

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The English translation of the French verb décercler is “to remove the lid” or “to take off the lid”. It is pronounced as “dey-ser-klair”.

The word décercler comes from the verb cercle, meaning “circle” or “ring” in French. The prefix “dé-” indicates a reversal of action, so décercler literally means to “uncircle”.

In everyday French, décercler is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of the verb.

Here are 3 simple examples of décercler in Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’aimerais que tu décercles les pots de confiture pour le petit déjeuner. (I would like you to open the jam jars for breakfast.)
  2. Elle souhaitait que nous décerclions les bocaux de conserves pour le dîner. (She wished for us to open the canned jars for dinner.)
  3. Il fallait que je décerclasse les boîtes de conserve avant de les mettre au recyclage. (I had to remove the lids from the canned boxes before recycling them.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décerclasse Je serais plus rapide si je décerclasse mieux. I would be faster if I unhooped better.
tu décerclasses Si tu décerclasses trop souvent, tu abîmerais tes mains. If you unhooped too often, you would hurt your hands.
il décerclât S’il décerclât plus souvent, son travail serait plus facile. If he unhooped more often, his work would be easier.
elle décerclât Elle se blesserait si elle décerclât sans protection. She would get hurt if she unhooped without protection.
on décerclât Si on décerclât plus souvent, on éviterait les accidents. If one unhooped more often, one would avoid accidents.
nous décerclassions Si nous décerclassions ensemble, nous serions plus efficaces. If we unhooped together, we would be more efficient.
vous décerclassiez Si vous décerclassiez plus lentement, vous seriez plus précis. If you unhooped more slowly, you would be more precise.
ils décerclassent S’ils décerclassent avec soin, ils n’abîmeront pas les objets. If they unhoop with care, they won’t damage the objects.
elles décerclassent Si elles décerclassent sans regarder, elles pourraient se blesser. If they unhoop without looking, they could get hurt.

Other Conjugations for Décercler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décercler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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