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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débrayer

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The English translation of the French verb débrayer is “to disengage” or “to unclutch.” It is pronounced as “day-bray-ay.”

The word débrayer comes from the French prefix “dé-” meaning “to remove” and the verb “brayer” which means “to engage.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English.

To form the Plus-que-parfait tense, the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” is conjugated in the Imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. In the case of débrayer, the past participle is “débrayé.”

Here are three simple examples of débrayer in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais débrayé la voiture avant de descendre. (I had disengaged the car before getting out.)
  2. Tu avais débrayé le moteur lorsque tu as vu le feu rouge. (You had unclutched the engine when you saw the red light.)
  3. Elle avait débrayé le frein à main et a démarré la voiture. (She had released the handbrake and started the car.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais débrayé J’avais débrayé avant de tourner. I had disengaged before turning.
tu tu avais débrayé Tu avais débrayé trop tôt. You had disengaged too early.
il il avait débrayé Il avait débrayé pendant la réunion. He had disengaged during the meeting.
elle elle avait débrayé Elle avait débrayé avant de freiner. She had disengaged before braking.
on on avait débrayé On avait débrayé par erreur. One had disengaged by mistake.
nous nous avions débrayé Nous avions débrayé avant de s’arrêter. We had disengaged before stopping.
vous vous aviez débrayé Vous aviez débrayé la mauvaise vitesse. You had disengaged the wrong gear.
ils ils avaient débrayé Ils avaient débrayé avant de changer de voie. They had disengaged before changing lanes.
elles elles avaient débrayé Elles avaient débrayé avant de freiner. They had disengaged before braking.

Other Conjugations for Débrayer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrayer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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