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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décrisper

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The English translation of the French verb décrisper is “to relax” or “to ease tension”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-kree-spay”.

Décrisper comes from the French words “dé” meaning “to undo” and “crispé” meaning “tensed” or “stiff”. It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of releasing tension or stiffness in a situation or in someone’s attitude.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, décrisper is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain situation in the past. Here are three examples of its usage:

  1. Je souhaitais que tu te décrispasses avant de commencer la réunion. (I wished for you to relax before starting the meeting.)
  2. Il était important que nous nous décrispions avant de prendre une décision. (It was important for us to relax before making a decision.)
  3. Elle avait peur que le massage ne la décrispât pas complètement. (She was afraid that the massage wouldn’t completely relax her.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décrispasse Si j’étais plus détendu, je décrispasse plus facilement. If I were more relaxed, I would unwind more easily.
tu décrispasses Si tu souriais plus, tu décrispasses mieux. If you smiled more, you would relax better.
il décrispât Il serait plus agréable si il décrispât son visage. It would be more pleasant if he relaxed his face.
elle décrispât Elle serait plus calme si elle décrispât sa posture. She would be calmer if she relaxed her posture.
on décrispât Si on décrispât l’atmosphère, on pourrait plus facilement discuter. If one relaxed the atmosphere, one could discuss more easily.
nous décrispassions Si nous décrispassions nos relations, nous serions plus à l’aise. If we relaxed our relationships, we would be more comfortable.
vous décrispassiez Si vous décrispassiez vos nerfs, vous seriez plus détendu. If you relaxed your nerves, you would be more relaxed.
ils décrispassent S’ils décrispassent leur esprit, ils pourraient mieux comprendre. If they relaxed their minds, they could understand better.
elles décrispassent Si elles décrispassent leur attitude, elles seraient plus sympathiques. If they relaxed their attitude, they would be more friendly.

Other Conjugations for Décrisper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décrisper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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