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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décider

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The English translation of the French verb décider is “to decide.” The infinitive form of décider is pronounced “day-see-day.”

The word décider comes from the Latin word “decidere,” meaning “to cut off,” “to settle,” or “to decide.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and its meaning has remained relatively unchanged since then.

In everyday French, décider is often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action or state. This tense is usually used after certain conjunctions, such as “que” (that) or “si” (if).

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

  1. Il fallait que je décide de mon avenir. (I had to decide about my future.)
  2. Si j’avais su, j’aurais décidé autrement. (If I had known, I would have decided differently.)
  3. Il était important que nous décidions ensemble. (It was important for us to decide together.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décidasse Si j’étais à sa place, je décidasse immédiatement. If I were in his place, I would decide immediately.
tu décidasses Si tu avais plus d’informations, tu décidasses différemment. If you had more information, you would decide differently.
il décidât Il serait heureux si il décidât de partir en vacances. He would be happy if he decided to go on vacation.
elle décidât Elle serait soulagée si elle décidât de déménager. She would be relieved if she decided to move.
on décidât Si on décidât ensemble, on arriverait à un consensus. If one decided together, one would come to a consensus.
nous décidassions Si nous décidassions aujourd’hui, nous pourrions agir demain. If we decided today, we could take action tomorrow.
vous décidassiez Si vous décidassiez plus rapidement, nous serions plus efficaces. If you decided more quickly, we would be more efficient.
ils décidassent S’ils décidassent ensemble, ils pourraient trouver une solution. If they decided together, they could find a solution.
elles décidassent Si elles décidassent de poursuivre, elles devraient travailler dur. If they decided to continue, they would have to work hard.

Other Conjugations for Décider.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décider
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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