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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décuver

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The English translation of the French verb décuver is “to recover from a hangover.” It is pronounced as “day-koo-vay.” The origin of this word is from the Old French word “escouver” which means “to purge.”

In everyday French, décuver is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense as it expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place in the past.

Example 1: Je souhaitais que tu décuves avant la fête. (I wished you recovered from your hangover before the party.)

Example 2: Il fallait que nous décuvions avant de prendre la route. (We had to recover from our hangover before hitting the road.)

Example 3: Elle préférait que vous décuviez avant de reprendre les cours. (She preferred that you recovered from your hangover before going back to classes.)

English translations:

Example 1: I wished/wanted you to recover from your hangover before the party.
Example 2: We had to recover from our hangover before hitting the road.
Example 3: She preferred that you recovered from your hangover before going back to classes.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je décuvasse Si j’étais fort, je décuvasse toutes les nuits. If I were strong, I would sober up every night.
tu décuvasses Si tu étais moins fatigué, tu décuvasses plus vite. If you were less tired, you would sober up faster.
il décuvât Il serait heureux si il décuvât bien. He would be happy if he sobered up well.
elle décuvât Elle serait fière si elle décuvât sans aide. She would be proud if she sobered up without help.
on décuvât Si on décuvât ensemble, on pourrait s’entraider. If we sobered up together, we could help each other.
nous décuvassions Si nous décuvassions plus tôt, nous n’aurions pas de gueule de bois. If we sobered up earlier, we wouldn’t have a hangover.
vous décuvassiez Si vous décuvassiez plus lentement, vous vous sentiriez mieux. If you sobered up more slowly, you would feel better.
ils décuvassent S’ils décuvassent avant de conduire, ils éviteraient des accidents. If they sobered up before driving, they would avoid accidents.
elles décuvassent Si elles décuvassent ensemble, elles se soutiendraient. If they sobered up together, they would support each other.

Other Conjugations for Décuver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décuver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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