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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décontracter

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The English translation of the French verb décontracter is “to relax” or “to unwind.” It is pronounced as “day-con-tra-ktey” in its infinitive form.

The language origin of décontracter can be traced back to the Latin word “contractus,” meaning “to draw together.” In French, the prefix “dé-” means “to undo,” making décontracter the act of undoing tension or contraction.

In everyday French, décontracter is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the conjunction “si” (if) to express a condition.

Three simple examples of décontracter in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense are:

  1. Si j’étais plus détendu, je pourrais mieux me concentrer. (If I were more relaxed, I could concentrate better.)
  2. J’aimerais que tu te décontractes avant de partir en vacances. (I would like for you to relax before going on vacation.)
  3. Il aurait été plus calme si vous vous étiez décontractés avant la réunion. (It would have been calmer if you had relaxed before the meeting.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décontractasse Si j’avais plus de temps, je décontractasse plus. If I had more time, I would relax more.
tu décontractasses Si tu prenais moins de café, tu décontractasses mieux. If you drank less coffee, you would relax better.
il décontractât Il serait plus détendu si il décontractât plus souvent. He would be more relaxed if he relaxed more often.
elle décontractât Elle serait plus calme si elle décontractât mieux. She would be calmer if she relaxed better.
on décontractât Si on décontractât un peu, on pourrait se reposer. If one relaxed a little, one could rest.
nous décontractassions Si nous décontractassions après le travail, nous serions plus détendus. If we relaxed after work, we would be more relaxed.
vous décontractassiez Si vous décontractassiez avant de dormir, vous dormiriez mieux. If you relaxed before sleeping, you would sleep better.
ils décontractassent S’ils décontractassent plus, ils seraient plus reposés. If they relaxed more, they would be more rested.
elles décontractassent Si elles décontractassent ensemble, ça serait plus agréable. If they relaxed together, it would be more enjoyable.

Other Conjugations for Décontracter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décontracter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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