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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décompresser

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The English translation of décompresser is “to decompress” or “to relax”. It is pronounced as “day-kohm-pruh-say”.

Décompresser comes from the French words “dé-” (meaning “un-” or “de-“) and “compresser” (meaning “to compress”). It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a desire or a suggestion in the past, or to express a hypothetical situation in the past.

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

  1. Il fallait que je décompressasse après une longue journée de travail. (I needed to decompress after a long day of work.)
  2. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, je décompresserais en allant faire une balade en forêt. (If I had more time, I would decompress by going for a walk in the forest.)
  3. Il souhaitait que nous décompressassions ensemble pendant nos vacances. (He wished for us to decompress together during our vacation.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décompressasse Si je faisais une pause, je décompressasse un peu. If I took a break, I would relax a bit.
tu décompressasses Si tu avais plus de temps, tu décompressasses mieux. If you had more time, you would relax better.
il décompressât Il serait plus détendu s’il décompressât régulièrement. He would be more relaxed if he took breaks regularly.
elle décompressât Elle se sentirait mieux si elle décompressât après le travail. She would feel better if she relaxed after work.
on décompressât Si on décompressât en groupe, on se sentirait plus heureux. If one relaxed in a group, one would feel happier.
nous décompressassions Si nous décompressassions ensemble, nous pourrions mieux gérer le stress. If we relaxed together, we could manage stress better.
vous décompressassiez Si vous décompressassiez avant de partir, vous seriez plus détendus. If you relaxed before leaving, you would be more relaxed.
ils décompressassent S’ils décompressaient plus souvent, ils seraient plus productifs. If they relaxed more often, they would be more productive.
elles décompressassent Si elles décompressaient chaque soir, elles dormiraient mieux. If they relaxed every evening, they would sleep better.

Other Conjugations for Décompresser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décompresser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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