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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décompter

Get the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) tense conjugation of décompter. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb décompter is “to deduct” or “to discount.” It is pronounced as “day-comt-ay” in its infinitive form.

Décompter is derived from the Old French word “descompter,” which comes from the Latin “discomputare,” meaning “to count off.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

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

  1. Si j’avais plus d’argent, je décompterais mes dépenses mensuelles. (If I had more money, I would deduct my monthly expenses.)

  2. Il fallait que nous décomptions les taxes avant de faire les calculs. (We had to deduct the taxes before doing the calculations.)

  3. Je souhaitais que tu décomptasses les intérêts de mon compte d’épargne. (I wished that you would deduct the interest from my savings account.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décomptasse Pour qu’il ne soit pas en retard, je décomptasse les minutes. So he wouldn’t be late, I would count down the minutes.
tu décomptasses Si tu décomptasses les heures, tu serais plus organisé. If you counted down the hours, you would be more organized.
il décomptât Il serait nerveux s’il décomptât les jours jusqu’à son mariage. He would be nervous if he counted down the days until his wedding.
elle décomptât Elle serait plus calme si elle décomptât les heures jusqu’au week-end. She would be calmer if she counted down the hours until the weekend.
on décomptât Si on décomptât jusqu’à la fin du mois, on pourrait mieux gérer son budget. If one counted down until the end of the month, one could manage their budget better.
nous décomptassions Si nous décomptassions ensemble, ça serait plus amusant. If we counted down together, it would be more fun.
vous décomptassiez Si vous décomptassiez régulièrement, vous pourriez mieux planifier vos tâches. If you counted down regularly, you could better plan your tasks.
ils décomptassent S’ils décomptassent les heures supplémentaires, ils sauraient combien ils ont travaillé. If they counted down the extra hours, they would know how much they worked.
elles décomptassent Si elles décomptassent les jours de vacances, elles pourraient mieux planifier leur voyage. If they counted down the vacation days, they could better plan their trip.

Other Conjugations for Décompter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décompter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the décompter Subjonctif Imparfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts