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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décorer

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The English translation of the French verb décorer is “to decorate.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-koh-ray.”

The word décorer comes from the Latin word “decorare,” which means “to adorn” or “to embellish.” It is often used in everyday French to describe the action of adding aesthetic or ornamental elements to something.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, décorer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je décorasse la maison avant la fête. (I needed to decorate the house before the party.)
  2. Nous aimerions que tu décorasses le gâteau avec des fleurs. (We would like you to decorate the cake with flowers.)
  3. Il était important que vous décorassiez la salle de réunion pour la présentation. (It was important that you decorate the meeting room for the presentation.)

English translations:

  1. I had to decorate the house before the party.
  2. We would like you to decorate the cake with flowers.
  3. It was important for you to decorate the meeting room for the presentation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décorasse Si je gagnais à la loterie, je décorasse ma maison. If I won the lottery, I would decorate my house.
tu décorasses Si tu avais plus de temps, tu décorasses plus. If you had more time, you would decorate more.
il décorât Il serait content si il décorât mieux. He would be happy if he decorated better.
elle décorât Elle serait surprise si elle décorât bien. She would be surprised if she decorated well.
on décorât Si on décorât ensemble, ça serait plus amusant. If one decorated together, it would be more fun.
nous décorassions Si nous décorassions la salle, elle serait magnifique. If we decorated the room, it would be beautiful.
vous décorassiez Si vous décorassiez avec des fleurs, ça serait joli. If you decorated with flowers, it would be pretty.
ils décorassent S’ils décorassent la chambre, ça serait romantique. If they decorated the bedroom, it would be romantic.
elles décorassent Si elles décorassent en équipe, ça serait efficace. If they decorated as a team, it would be effective.

Other Conjugations for Décorer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décorer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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