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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépecer

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The English translation of the French verb dépecer is “to carve” or “to disjoint.” It is pronounced as “day-peh-seh” in its infinitive form.

The word dépecer comes from the Old French word “despecier,” which is derived from the Latin word “dissecare,” meaning “to cut apart.” It is most often used in culinary contexts, referring to the process of carving or separating pieces of meat or poultry.

In the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, dépecer is most often used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is conjugated as follows:

  • Je dépeçasse (I carved)
  • Tu dépeçasses (You carved)
  • Il/Elle dépeçât (He/She carved)
  • Nous dépeçassions (We carved)
  • Vous dépeçassiez (You carved)
  • Ils/Elles dépeçassent (They carved)

Examples of dépecer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Je voulais que tu dépeçasses le poulet pour le dîner. (I wanted you to carve the chicken for dinner.)
  2. Il fallait que nous dépeçassions le lapin avant de le faire cuire. (We had to disjoint the rabbit before cooking it.)
  3. Elle préférait que vous dépeçassiez les fruits avant de les servir. (She preferred you to cut the fruits before serving them.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dépeçasse Si je gagnais à la loterie, je dépeçasse un animal exotique. If I won the lottery, I would butcher an exotic animal.
tu dépeçasses Si tu m’aidais, tu dépeçasses la viande plus rapidement. If you helped me, you would butcher the meat faster.
il dépeçât Il serait déçu si il dépeçât mal la carcasse. He would be disappointed if he butchered the carcass poorly.
elle dépeçât Elle serait heureuse si elle dépeçât avec précision. She would be happy if she butchered with precision.
on dépeçât Si on dépeçât ensemble, on gagnerait du temps. If one butchered together, one would save time.
nous dépeçassions Si nous dépeçassions l’animal à plusieurs, ça irait plus vite. If we butchered the animal together, it would go faster.
vous dépeçassiez Si vous dépeçassiez correctement, vous auriez plus de clients. If you butchered correctly, you would have more clients.
ils dépeçassent S’ils dépeçassent avec soin, ils éviteraient les accidents. If they butchered carefully, they would avoid accidents.
elles dépeçassent Si elles m’aidaient, elles dépeçassent plus de viande. If they helped me, they would butcher more meat.

Other Conjugations for Dépecer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépecer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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