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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déchiffrer

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The English translation of the French verb déchiffrer is “to decipher.” The infinitive form is pronounced “day-shee-fray.”

Déchiffrer comes from the Old French word “deschiffrer,” which is derived from the Latin word “defigere,” meaning “to unfasten” or “to loosen.” It entered the French language in the 15th century and originally referred to the action of interpreting secret codes or ciphers. Over time, it came to be used more broadly to mean understanding or interpreting something that is difficult to understand.

In everyday French, déchiffrer is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical action or situation in the past. This tense is often used in conjunction with another verb in the past tense to express a condition or possibility. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais pu déchiffrer le message, j’aurais su quoi faire. (If I had been able to decipher the message, I would have known what to do.)
  2. Je craignais qu’il ne déchiffre mes pensées. (I was afraid that he would decipher my thoughts.)
  3. Elle aurait aimé qu’il déchiffre ses émotions. (She would have liked him to decipher her emotions.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déchiffrasse Si j’étais plus attentif, je déchiffrasse mieux. If I were more attentive, I would decipher better.
tu déchiffrasses Si tu prenais ton temps, tu déchiffrasses mieux. If you took your time, you would decipher better.
il déchiffrât Il serait plus efficace si il déchiffrât plus vite. It would be more efficient if he deciphered faster.
elle déchiffrât Elle serait plus intéressée si elle déchiffrât plus rapidement. She would be more interested if she deciphered faster.
on déchiffrât Si on déchiffrât mieux, on comprendrait plus facilement. If one deciphered better, one would understand more easily.
nous déchiffrassions Si nous déchiffrassions ensemble, nous trouverions la solution. If we deciphered together, we would find the solution.
vous déchiffrassiez Si vous déchiffrassiez plus soigneusement, vous feriez moins d’erreurs. If you deciphered more carefully, you would make fewer mistakes.
ils déchiffrassent S’ils déchiffrassent plus lentement, ils comprendraient mieux. If they deciphered more slowly, they would understand better.
elles déchiffrassent Si elles déchiffrassent plus souvent, elles deviendraient des experts. If they deciphered more often, they would become experts.

Other Conjugations for Déchiffrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déchiffrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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