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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déclinquer

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The English translation of the French verb déclinquer is “to break down” or “to malfunction.” It is pronounced as “day-klehn-keer.”

Déclinquer comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” meaning “down” and the verb “cliquer” meaning “to click.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Example 1: Il fallait que je déclinque mon ordinateur. (I had to break down my computer.)
Example 2: Le moteur de la voiture risquait de déclinquer à tout moment. (The car’s engine was at risk of breaking down at any moment.)
Example 3: J’avais peur que le lave-linge déclinque pendant le cycle de lavage. (I was afraid that the washing machine would break down during the wash cycle.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je déclinquasse Si je déclinquasse moins, je gagnerais du temps. If I declined less, I would save time.
tu déclinquasses Si tu déclinquasses plus vite, tu serais plus efficace. If you declined faster, you would be more efficient.
il déclinquât Il serait heureux que tu déclinquât tous les jours. He would be happy if you declined every day.
elle déclinquât Elle souhaiterait que je déclinquât avec elle. She would like me to decline with her.
on déclinquât Si on déclinquât systématiquement, ça serait plus organisé. If one declined systematically, it would be more organized.
nous déclinquassions Si nous déclinquassions ensemble, ça serait plus efficace. If we declined together, it would be more efficient.
vous déclinquassiez Si vous déclinquassiez mieux, ça serait plus clair. If you declined better, it would be clearer.
ils déclinquassent S’ils déclinquassent plus tôt, nous pourrions partir plus tôt. If they declined earlier, we could leave earlier.
elles déclinquassent Si elles déclinquassent ensemble, ça serait plus précis. If they declined together, it would be more accurate.

Other Conjugations for Déclinquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déclinquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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