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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décocher

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The English translation of the French verb décocher is “to shoot (an arrow, a bullet)”. The infinitive form, décocher, is pronounced as “de-koh-shay”.

Décocher comes from the Old French word ‘décoche’ meaning “to drive away (with a bow)”, which is derived from the Latin word ‘dēcoctus’ meaning “cooked down”. In everyday French, décocher is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to describe an action that had already been completed in the past.

Example 1: J’avais décoché une flèche avant que le cerf ne s’enfuit. (I had shot an arrow before the deer ran away.)
Example 2: Ils avaient décoché des sourires enjôleurs pour obtenir une faveur. (They had shot charming smiles to get a favor.)
Example 3: Elle avait décoché une réplique cinglante avant de quitter la pièce. (She had shot a cutting remark before leaving the room.)

Translation:
Example 1: I had shot an arrow before the deer ran away.
Example 2: They had shot charming smiles to get a favor.
Example 3: She had shot a cutting remark before leaving the room.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais décoché J’avais décoché une flèche. I had shot an arrow.
tu tu avais décoché Tu avais décoché un regard désapprobateur. You had shot a disapproving look.
il il avait décoché Il avait décoché sa réplique. He had delivered his comeback.
elle elle avait décoché Elle avait décoché un sourire narquois. She had given a mocking smile.
on on avait décoché On avait décoché des flèches empoisonnées. One had shot poisoned arrows.
nous nous avions décoché Nous avions décoché des compliments. We had given compliments.
vous vous aviez décoché Vous aviez décoché des regards en coin. You had thrown sidelong glances.
ils ils avaient décoché Ils avaient décoché des critiques. They had unleashed criticisms.
elles elles avaient décoché Elles avaient décoché des regards méprisants. They had given disdainful looks.

Other Conjugations for Décocher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décocher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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