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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déchanter

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The English translation of the French verb déchanter is “to become disillusioned” or “to lose enthusiasm.” It is pronounced as “day-shon-tay” in its infinitive form.

Déchanter comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “un-” or “dis-“) and the verb “chanter” (meaning “to sing”). This verb originated from the Latin word “cantare” which has the same meaning.

In everyday French, déchanter is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to talk about an action that had been completed before another past action or time.

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

  1. J’avais déchanté après avoir vu le film. (I had become disillusioned after watching the movie.)

  2. Nous avions déchanté lorsque nous avons réalisé que le voyage était annulé. (We had lost enthusiasm when we realized that the trip was canceled.)

  3. Ils avaient déchanté après avoir découvert qu’ils n’avaient pas gagné la compétition. (They had become disillusioned after discovering that they didn’t win the competition.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais déchanté J’avais déchanté depuis longtemps. I had been disappointed for a long time.
tu tu avais déchanté Tu avais déchanté après la nouvelle. You had been disappointed after the news.
il il avait déchanté Il avait déchanté pendant le spectacle. He had been disappointed during the show.
elle elle avait déchanté Elle avait déchanté face à la réalité. She had been disappointed by the reality.
on on avait déchanté On avait déchanté après l’échec. One had been disappointed after the failure.
nous nous avions déchanté Nous avions déchanté devant la déception. We had been disappointed by the letdown.
vous vous aviez déchanté Vous aviez déchanté en entendant les critiques. You had been disappointed upon hearing the criticism.
ils ils avaient déchanté Ils avaient déchanté après le match. They had been disappointed after the game.
elles elles avaient déchanté Elles avaient déchanté face à la situation. They had been disappointed by the situation.

Other Conjugations for Déchanter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déchanter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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