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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décolleter

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The English translation of the French verb décolleter is “to uncover/decolletage”. It is pronounced as “day-koh-leh-tay”.

Décolleter comes from the French word “décolleté”, which means “low-cut” or “exposing the neck and chest area”. It is often used in fashion and beauty contexts to refer to clothing or hairstyles that expose the neck and chest.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, décolleter is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or state in the past. It is often used with verbs like “would” or “could” in English.

3 examples of décolleter in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Si je pouvais, je décolleterais cette robe pour un look plus sexy. (If I could, I would uncover this dress for a sexier look.)

  2. Il fallait que tu décolletasses ta chemise pour le spectacle. (You had to uncover your shirt for the show.)

  3. Nous aurions décolleté nos cheveux pour la soirée si nous avions eu le temps. (We would have uncovered our hair for the party if we had had time.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décolletasse Si je portais une robe, je décolletasse tous les soirs. If I wore a dress, I would show some cleavage every night.
tu décollettasses Si tu allais à la fête, tu décollettasses ta robe. If you went to the party, you would show some cleavage in your dress.
il décollettât Il serait surpris si il décollettât sa chemise. He would be surprised if he unbuttoned his shirt.
elle décollettât Elle serait élégante si elle décollettât sa robe. She would be elegant if she showed some cleavage in her dress.
on décollettât Si on décollettât plus souvent, c’est plus confortable. If one showed more cleavage, it’s more comfortable.
nous décollettassions Si nous décollettassions ensemble, ça serait amusant. If we showed some cleavage together, it would be fun.
vous décolletassiez Si vous décolletassiez moins, vous seriez plus discrets. If you showed less cleavage, you would be more discreet.
ils décollettassent S’ils décollettassent leurs chemises, ils seraient plus décontractés. If they unbuttoned their shirts, they would be more relaxed.
elles décollettassent Si elles décollettassent leurs robes, elles seraient plus élégantes. If they showed some cleavage in their dresses, they would be more elegant.

Other Conjugations for Décolleter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décolleter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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