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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décrépiter

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The English translation of the French verb décrépiter is “to crumble.” It is pronounced “day-krep-ee-tay.”

Décrépiter comes from the Latin word “decrepitare,” meaning “to break down.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the subjonctif imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Examples of décrépiter in the subjonctif imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que la vieille maison se décrépitât petit à petit. (It was necessary for the old house to crumble little by little.)

  2. J’avais peur que le mur décrépitât et me tombe dessus. (I was afraid that the crumbling wall would fall on me.)

  3. Nous avions peur que la situation se décrépitât et qu’il n’y ait plus de solution. (We were afraid that the situation would crumble and there would be no solution.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décrépitasse Si j’étais plus âgé, je décrépitasse trop. If I were older, I would become too decrepit.
tu décrépitasses Si tu n’étais pas là, tu décrépitasses plus vite. If you weren’t here, you would become decrepit faster.
il décrépît Il serait content si il décrépît moins. He would be happy if he didn’t become decrepit so easily.
elle décrépît Elle serait triste si elle décrépît trop tôt. She would be sad if she became decrepit too early.
on décrépît Si on décrépît avec l’âge, on serait moins actif. If one became decrepit with age, one would be less active.
nous décrépitions Que ferions-nous si nous décrépitions trop vite ? What would we do if we became decrepit too quickly?
vous décrépitiiez Si vous ne preniez pas soin de vous, vous décrépitiiez trop vite. If you didn’t take care of yourself, you would become decrepit too quickly.
ils décrépitaient S’ils ne faisaient pas d’exercice, ils décrépitaient trop rapidement. If they didn’t exercise, they would become decrepit too quickly.
elles décrépitaient Si elles ne prenaient pas soin d’elles, elles décrépitaient trop vite. If they didn’t take care of themselves, they would become decrepit too quickly.

Other Conjugations for Décrépiter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décrépiter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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