Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Introduction to the verb dicter
The English translation of the French verb dicter is “to dictate.” It is pronounced as “dee-kteh,” with the emphasis on the second syllable.
The origin of the verb dicter can be traced back to the Latin word “dictare,” meaning “to dictate.” In its most common usage, dicter refers to the action of speaking or reading aloud while someone else writes down the words.
In everyday French, dicter is often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a compound tense used to express an action that has happened before another past action. This tense is formed by combining the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Subjonctif imparfait tense with the past participle of the main verb.
Here are three examples of dicter in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:
- Il fallait que je t’eusse dicté la lettre avant que tu partes. (I had to dictate the letter to you before you left.)
- Elle avait peur que son avocat ne lui eût dicté quoi dire au tribunal. (She was afraid her lawyer had dictated to her what to say in court.)
- Il était important que j’eusse dicté toutes les consignes avant que les élèves n’arrivent. (It was important that I had dictated all the instructions before the students arrived.)
Table of the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of dicter
Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Usage | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | eusse dicté | J’aurais voulu que je eusse dicté. | I wish I had dictated. |
tu | eusses dicté | J’aurais voulu que tu eusses dicté. | I wish you had dictated. |
il | eût dicté | J’aurais voulu qu’il eût dicté. | I wish he had dictated. |
elle | eût dicté | J’aurais voulu qu’elle eût dicté. | I wish she had dictated. |
on | eût dicté | J’aurais voulu qu’on eût dicté. | I wish one had dictated. |
nous | eussions dicté | J’aurais voulu que nous eussions dicté. | I wish we had dictated. |
vous | eussiez dicté | J’aurais voulu que vous eussiez dicté. | I wish you had dictated. |
ils | eussent dicté | J’aurais voulu qu’ils eussent dicté. | I wish they had dictated. |
elles | eussent dicté | J’aurais voulu qu’elles eussent dicté. | I wish they had dictated. |
Other Conjugations for Dicter.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
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Dicter – About the French Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense
Formation
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Hypothetical Situations
Reported Speech
Doubt, Wishes, and Emotions
Interactions with Other Tenses
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Conditional
Summary
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