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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débâter

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The English translation of the French verb débâter is “to untie” or “to unfasten.” It is pronounced as “day-bah-tay” in its infinitive form.

Débâter comes from the Old French word “desbater,” which is derived from the Latin word “disbattere,” meaning “to beat down.” In everyday French, débâter is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the equivalent of the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about an action that was completed in the past before another past action.

Examples of débâter in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

1) Les enfants avaient débâter leurs chaussures avant d’entrer dans la maison. (The children had untied their shoes before entering the house.)
2) J’avais débâter mes cheveux pour les laver. (I had unfastened my hair to wash it.)
3) Ils avaient débâter les sacs de provisions avant de les ranger dans le placard. (They had untied the grocery bags before putting them away in the cupboard.)

Table of the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of débâter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais débâté J’avais débâté la chèvre. I had unfastened the goat.
tu tu avais débâté Tu avais débâté le cheval. You had unfastened the horse.
il il avait débâté Il avait débâté le mulet. He had unfastened the mule.
elle elle avait débâté Elle avait débâté l’âne. She had unfastened the donkey.
on on avait débâté On avait débâté le bœuf. One had unfastened the ox.
nous nous avions débâté Nous avions débâté le bétail. We had unfastened the livestock.
vous vous aviez débâté Vous aviez débâté les vaches. You had unfastened the cows.
ils ils avaient débâté Ils avaient débâté les chèvres. They had unfastened the goats.
elles elles avaient débâté Elles avaient débâté les brebis. They had unfastened the sheep.

Other Conjugations for Débâter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
   

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

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

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

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

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter     (this article)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Débâter – About the French Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense

The French “plus-que-parfait” tense is a past tense used to express actions or events that occurred before another past action or event. It is often translated to English as the “pluperfect” tense. The name “plus-que-parfait” literally means “more than perfect,” indicating that it is a tense used to describe actions that were completed before a specific point in the past.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Tense Formation

To form the plus-que-parfait tense, you typically use the auxiliary verb “avoir” (to have) or “être” (to be) in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here are the conjugations for both auxiliary verbs:
1. With “avoir” as the auxiliary verb:
   – J’avais mangé (I had eaten)
   – Tu avais parlé (You had spoken)
   – Il/elle/on avait fini (He/She/One had finished)
   – Nous avions lu (We had read)
   – Vous aviez choisi (You had chosen)
   – Ils/elles avaient joué (They had played)
2. With “être” as the auxiliary verb (usually for intransitive verbs or verbs indicating a state):
   – J’étais parti(e) (I had left)
   – Tu étais arrivé(e) (You had arrived)
   – Il/elle/on était tombé(e) (He/She/One had fallen)
   – Nous étions resté(e)s (We had stayed)
   – Vous étiez né(e)(s) (You had been born)
   – Ils/elles étaient monté(e)s (They had gone up)

Common everyday usage patterns

Sequencing of past events

The plus-que-parfait is used to express a past action that happened before another past action. For example, “J’avais mangé avant qu’il ne soit arrivé” (I had eaten before he arrived).

Background information

It is also used to provide background information or set the stage for a main past event. For instance, “Quand je suis arrivé, ils avaient déjà fini de manger” (When I arrived, they had already finished eating).

Hypothetical or reported speech

In indirect speech, the plus-que-parfait is used to report what someone had said or thought in the past. For example, “Il avait dit qu’il viendrait demain” (He had said that he would come tomorrow).

Interactions with other tenses

– The plus-que-parfait is often used in conjunction with the passé composé (simple past) to establish the sequence of past events. The passé composé describes the more recent action, while the plus-que-parfait describes the action that occurred earlier.
– It can also be used with the conditional mood to express a hypothetical past event, like “Si j’avais su, j’aurais agi différemment” (If I had known, I would have acted differently).
– When used in reported speech, it can be combined with the conditional mood or the imperfect subjunctive to reflect the original mood and tense of the reported statement.

Summary

The French plus-que-parfait tense is an essential part of the language for expressing past actions that occurred before other past actions, providing background information, and reporting past statements or thoughts. It is an integral component of constructing complex and accurate narratives in French.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb débâter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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