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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépiquer

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The English translation of the French verb dépiquer is to pick out or to remove. It is pronounced as “day-pee-kay”.

Dépiquer comes from the prefix “dé-“, which means “to remove” and the verb “piquer” which means “to prick”. It is often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a desire or a wish to remove or eliminate something.

Here are 3 simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense:

  1. Il fallait que je dépiquasse toutes les mauvaises herbes dans le jardin. (I had to pick out all the weeds in the garden.)

  2. Elle souhaitait que je dépique toutes les taches sur le tapis avant l’arrivée des invités. (She wished for me to remove all the stains on the carpet before the guests arrived.)

  3. Nous préférions que vous dépiquiez tous les ingrédients pour la recette avant de commencer à cuisiner. (We preferred for you to pick out all the ingredients for the recipe before starting to cook.)

In these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait tense expresses a desire or a wish for the action to be carried out, rather than stating it as a fact.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je dépiquasse Si j’étais à la ferme, je dépiquasse avec les autres. If I were on the farm, I would thresh with the others.
tu dépiquasses Si tu dépiquasses plus vite, on finirait plus tôt. If you threshed faster, we would finish earlier.
il dépiquât Il ne serait pas content si il dépiquât tout seul. He wouldn’t be happy if he threshed alone.
elle dépiquât Elle serait plus efficace si elle dépiquât régulièrement. She would be more efficient if she threshed regularly.
on dépiquât Si on dépiquât ensemble, ça serait plus amusant. If we threshed together, it would be more fun.
nous dépiquassions Si nous dépiquassions ensemble, on pourrait s’aider. If we threshed together, we could help each other.
vous dépiquassiez Si vous dépiquassiez plus tôt, vous pourriez partir plus tôt. If you threshed earlier, you could leave earlier.
ils dépiquassent S’ils dépiquassent plus efficacement, ils pourraient gagner plus. If they threshed more efficiently, they could earn more.
elles dépiquassent Si elles dépiquassent mieux, ça ferait moins de gaspillage. If they threshed better, there would be less waste.

Other Conjugations for Dépiquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépiquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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