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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décarcasser

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The English translation of the French verb décarcasser is “to rack one’s brains” or “to make a great effort.” The infinitive form is pronounced “dey-kar-kah-sey.”

The word décarcasser comes from the prefix dé- meaning “down” and carcasses, the plural form of carcasse meaning “skeletons” or “bones.” Originally, it referred to the act of removing bones from meat, but over time, it has taken on a more figurative meaning of putting in great effort and using one’s mental faculties.

In everyday French, décarcasser is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to describe an action that had been completed in the past before another action took place. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb avoir or être in the imperfect tense followed by the past participle of décarcasser (décarcassé).

Example 1: J’avais décarcassé toute la journée pour préparer ce dîner. (I had racked my brains all day to prepare this dinner.)

Example 2: Elle s’était décarcassée pour obtenir ce poste. (She had made a great effort to get this job.)

Example 3: Nous avions décarcassé nos cerveaux avant de trouver la solution. (We had racked our brains before finding the solution.)

In these examples, décarcasser is used to emphasize the hard work and effort put into a task or goal in the past. It is often used in a positive context to highlight determination and perseverance.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je je m’étais décarcassé(e) Je m’étais décarcassé(e) pour arriver à l’heure. I had gone to great lengths to arrive on time.
tu tu t’étais décarcassé(e) Tu t’étais décarcassé(e) pour trouver les clés. You had gone to great lengths to find the keys.
il il s’était décarcassé Il s’était décarcassé pour réparer la voiture. He had gone to great lengths to fix the car.
elle elle s’était décarcassée Elle s’était décarcassée pour préparer le dîner. She had gone to great lengths to prepare dinner.
on on s’était décarcassé On s’était décarcassé pour aider nos amis. One had gone to great lengths to help our friends.
nous nous nous étions décarcassés Nous nous étions décarcassés pour terminer le projet. We had gone to great lengths to finish the project.
vous vous vous étiez décarcassés Vous vous étiez décarcassés pour résoudre le problème. You had gone to great lengths to solve the problem.
ils ils s’étaient décarcassés Ils s’étaient décarcassés pour obtenir des réponses. They had gone to great lengths to get some answers.
elles elles s’étaient décarcassées Elles s’étaient décarcassées pour trouver une solution. They had gone to great lengths to find a solution.

Other Conjugations for Décarcasser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décarcasser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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