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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décimer

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The English translation of the French verb décimer is “to decimate.” It is pronounced as “day-see-may.”

The word décimer comes from the Latin word “decimare,” which means “to take a tenth.” It was originally used in the context of Roman military punishment, where every tenth soldier would be killed as a form of discipline. In modern French, it is used to describe the act of destroying or killing a large portion of something.

In everyday French, décimer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is also commonly used to express a wish or a regret.

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

  1. Il fallait que nous ne décimions pas la forêt tropicale. (We should not have decimated the rainforest.)
  2. J’aurais souhaité que la guerre n’ait pas décimé autant de personnes. (I wish the war had not decimated so many people.)
  3. Il était possible que le virus décime la population entière. (It was possible that the virus would decimate the entire population.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décimasse Si je décimasse cette population, il y aurait des protestations. If I decimated this population, there would be protests.
tu décimasses Si tu décimasses cette forêt, elle serait détruite. If you decimated this forest, it would be destroyed.
il décimât Si il décimât cette armée, il gagnerait la guerre. If he decimated this army, he would win the war.
elle décimât Si elle décimât ces cultures, il y aurait une famine. If she decimated these crops, there would be a famine.
on décimât Si on décimât ces animaux, ils disparaîtraient de la région. If one decimated these animals, they would disappear from the region.
nous décimassions Si nous décimassions ces maladies, il y aurait moins de morts. If we decimated these diseases, there would be fewer deaths.
vous décimassiez Si vous décimassiez ces insectes, ils ne causeraient plus de ravages. If you decimated these insects, they would no longer cause damage.
ils décimassent S’ils décimassent cette civilisation, elle serait oubliée. If they decimated this civilization, it would be forgotten.
elles décimassent Si elles décimassent cette population, il y aurait une crise humanitaire. If they decimated this population, there would be a humanitarian crisis.

Other Conjugations for Décimer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décimer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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