décolleter — French conjugation

to unbutton

Frequency#254Irregular

Indicative

Present (Présent) Irregular

Use the présent for habits, what is true now, and what is about to happen soon. A single set of endings covers what English often splits into “I speak” and “I am speaking”.

Elle parle arabe et français.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jedécolletteI unbutton
tudécollettesyou unbutton
il/elledécollettehe/she/it unbuttons
nousdécolletonswe unbutton
vousdécolletezyou (pl.) unbutton
ils/ellesdécollettentthey unbutton

Simple past (Passé simple) Regular

The passé simple narrates completed past events in a literary or very formal style. In everyday conversation people use the passé composé instead, so you mostly meet this form in books and journalism.

Ils virent le roi s'approcher.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jedécolletaiI unbuttoned
tudécolletasyou unbuttoned
il/elledécolletahe/she/it unbuttoned
nousdécolletâmeswe unbuttoned
vousdécolletâtesyou (pl.) unbuttoned
ils/ellesdécolletèrentthey unbuttoned

Imperfect (Imparfait) Regular

The imparfait describes ongoing or repeated past actions and sets the background — how things were, what used to happen, weather, feelings. The passé composé, by contrast, marks single completed events.

Quand j'étais petit, j'allais souvent à la piscine.

PronounFrench
jedécolletais
tudécolletais
il/elledécolletait
nousdécolletions
vousdécolletiez
ils/ellesdécolletaient

Conditional (Conditionnel) Irregular

The conditionnel is for polite questions and requests, “would”-type hypotheticals, and what someone said would happen. It is also the usual consequent clause in si + imparfait → conditionnel patterns.

Pourriez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ?

PronounFrenchEnglish
jedécolletteraisI would unbutton
tudécolletteraisyou would unbutton
il/elledécolletteraithe/she/it would unbutton
nousdécolletterionswe would unbutton
vousdécolletteriezyou (pl.) would unbutton
ils/ellesdécolletteraientthey would unbutton

Future (Futur) Irregular

The futur is for future plans and objective predictions. In speech, aller + infinitive is often clearer for the immediate future, while the simple future is common for facts further ahead or in writing.

Demain, nous dînerons chez eux.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jedécolletteraiI will unbutton
tudécolletterasyou will unbutton
il/elledécolletterahe/she/it will unbutton
nousdécolletteronswe will unbutton
vousdécolletterezyou (pl.) will unbutton
ils/ellesdécolletterontthey will unbutton

Present perfect (Passé composé) Regular

The passé composé is the main spoken past for completed, bounded actions (often with a time adverb). Use avoir with most verbs; être is required for a fixed group of motion/inchange and all pronominal verbs, with participle agreement when necessary.

Elle est venue tôt, puis elle a téléphoné.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jej'ai décolletéI have unbuttoned
tutu as décolletéyou have unbuttoned
il/elleil/elle a décolletéhe/she/it has unbuttoned
nousnous avons décolletéwe have unbuttoned
vousvous avez décolletéyou (pl.) have unbuttoned
ils/ellesils/elles ont décolletéthey have unbuttoned

Pluperfect (Plus-que-parfait) Regular

The plus-que-parfait is the “earlier past”: one action was already over before another past moment. It answers “had already” when a story is anchored in a past time.

Déjà, il avait fini quand je suis arrivé.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jej'avais décolletéI had unbuttoned
tutu avais décolletéyou had unbuttoned
il/elleil/elle avait décolletéhe/she/it had unbuttoned
nousnous avions décolletéwe had unbuttoned
vousvous aviez décolletéyou (pl.) had unbuttoned
ils/ellesils/elles avaient décolletéthey had unbuttoned

Conditional perfect (Conditionnel passé) Regular

The conditionnel passé states what would have been true, plans that failed, and unreal past if-clauses (often with si + plus-que-parfait in the apodose).

J'aurais dit oui, mais c'était impossible.

PronounFrench
jej'aurais décolleté
tutu aurais décolleté
il/elleil/elle aurait décolleté
nousnous aurions décolleté
vousvous auriez décolleté
ils/ellesils/elles auraient décolleté

Future perfect (Futur antérieur) Regular

The futur antérieur marks an action that will be finished before a later future moment (by then I will have…). It can also suggest a conjecture about a recent past fact in formal or literary use.

D'ici samedi, j'aurai lu le rapport.

PronounFrenchEnglish
jej'aurai décolletéI will have unbuttoned
tutu auras décolletéyou will have unbuttoned
il/elleil/elle aura décolletéhe/she/it will have unbuttoned
nousnous aurons décolletéwe will have unbuttoned
vousvous aurez décolletéyou (pl.) will have unbuttoned
ils/ellesils/elles auront décolletéthey will have unbuttoned

Subjunctive

Present subjunctive (Subjonctif présent) Irregular

The present subjunctive appears in subordinate clauses after desire, doubt, fear, need, and many impersonals, usually when the subject of the subordinate is different. Learn common triggers: il faut que, je veux que, je doute que…

Il faut qu'il parte avant midi.

PronounFrench
jedécollette
tudécollettes
il/elledécollette
nousdécolletions
vousdécolletiez
ils/ellesdécollettent

Imperfect subjunctive (Subjonctif imparfait) Regular

The imparfait du subjonctif is a literary and formal past subjunctive. In modern speech, the present subjunctive usually replaces it for the same meaning.

Bien qu'il fût fatigué, il continua.

PronounFrench
jedécolletasse
tudécolletasses
il/elledécolletât
nousdécolletassions
vousdécolletassiez
ils/ellesdécolletassent

Other forms

Imperative (Impératif) Regular

The imperative is for direct orders and advice to tu, nous, and vous. For many -er verbs, the tu form drops the final -s of the present (parle!); negatives use the subjunctive-like forms in practice.

Fermons la porte, s'il vous plaît !

PronounFrench
tudécollette
nousdécolletons
vousdécolletez