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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb découper

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The English translation of the French verb découper is “to cut out” or “to carve.” It is pronounced as “dey-koo-pey” in its infinitive form.

The word découper comes from the French word découpe, which means “cut” or “cutting.” It originated from the Old French word decoper, which comes from the Latin word decapare, meaning “to cut off.”

In everyday French, découper is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, which is used to express hypothetical or uncertain actions in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Imparfait tense followed by the past participle of découper, which is “découpé.”

Here are three simple examples of découper in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. J’aurais découpé les légumes si j’avais eu plus de temps. (I would have cut the vegetables if I had more time.)
  2. Nous aurions découpé le gâteau en plusieurs morceaux pour le partager. (We would have cut the cake into several pieces to share it.)
  3. Elle aurait découpé les coupons de réduction si elle en avait eu besoin. (She would have cut the discount coupons if she had needed them.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je découpasse Je découpasse les légumes avant de les cuisiner. I would cut the vegetables before cooking them.
tu découpasses Si tu suivais la recette, tu découpasses correctement. If you followed the recipe, you would cut correctly.
il découpât Il serait plus facile de cuisiner si il découpât habilement. It would be easier to cook if he cut skillfully.
elle découpât Elle ne serait pas fatiguée si elle ne découpât pas autant. She wouldn’t be tired if she didn’t cut so much.
on découpât Si on découpât les ingrédients à l’avance, on gagnerait du temps. If one cut the ingredients in advance, one would save time.
nous découpassions Si nous découpassions ensemble, ça irait plus vite. If we cut together, it would go faster.
vous découpassiez Si vous découpassiez avec plus de précision, le plat serait meilleur. If you cut more precisely, the dish would be better.
ils découpassent S’ils découpassent correctement, le chef serait content. If they cut correctly, the chef would be happy.
elles découpassent Si elles découpassent plus lentement, elles ne se couperaient pas. If they cut more slowly, they wouldn’t cut themselves.

Other Conjugations for Découper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb découper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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