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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déboutonner

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The English translation of the French verb déboutonner is “to unbutton.” The infinitive form of déboutonner is pronounced “day-boo-toe-nay.”

Déboutonner comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” which is a shortened form of the word “dés” meaning “undo” or “remove,” and the word “bouton,” which means “button.” It is a regular -er verb and is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to talk about actions that were completed in the past before another past action.

In everyday French, déboutonner is often used to talk about unbuttoning clothes, such as a shirt or a dress. It can also be used in a figurative sense to talk about undoing or unraveling a situation.

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

  1. J’avais déboutonné ma chemise avant de me coucher. (I had unbuttoned my shirt before going to bed.)
  2. Elle avait déboutonné sa robe pour se sentir plus à l’aise. (She had unbuttoned her dress to feel more comfortable.)
  3. Les enfants avaient déboutonné leur manteau dès qu’ils sont entrés dans la maison. (The children had unbuttoned their coats as soon as they entered the house.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais déboutonné J’avais déboutonné ma chemise. I had unbuttoned my shirt.
tu tu avais déboutonné Tu avais déboutonné ta veste. You had unbuttoned your jacket.
il il avait déboutonné Il avait déboutonné sa chemise. He had unbuttoned his shirt.
elle elle avait déboutonné Elle avait déboutonné son pantalon. She had unbuttoned her pants.
on on avait déboutonné On avait déboutonné notre manteau. One had unbuttoned our coat.
nous nous avions déboutonné Nous avions déboutonné nos chemises. We had unbuttoned our shirts.
vous vous aviez déboutonné Vous aviez déboutonné vos chaussures. You had unbuttoned your shoes.
ils ils avaient déboutonné Ils avaient déboutonné leurs vestes. They had unbuttoned their jackets.
elles elles avaient déboutonné Elles avaient déboutonné leurs robes. They had unbuttoned their dresses.

Other Conjugations for Déboutonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déboutonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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