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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déficher

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The English translation of the French verb déficher is “to unplug” or “to remove from a file.” It is pronounced as “deh-fee-shay.”

The word déficher comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” which means “un” or “deprive of” and the word ficher which comes from the Old French word “fiche” meaning “peg” or “pin.” In its original sense, déficher referred to the act of removing a pin or peg from a hole, but in modern French, it is mostly used in the context of technology and data management.

In everyday French, déficher is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which indicates an action that was completed before another action in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imparfait tense followed by the past participle of déficher (défiché).

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais défiché la clé USB avant de partir. (I had unplugged the USB key before leaving.)

  2. Nous avions défiché tous les dossiers avant de fermer le bureau. (We had removed all the files before closing the office.)

  3. Les programmeurs avaient défiché toutes les données sensibles avant le piratage. (The programmers had removed all sensitive data before the hacking.)

In each of these examples, the action of déficher (unplugging or removing) was completed before another past action (leaving, closing, hacking). This tense is commonly used to describe a sequence of events in the past.

In conclusion, déficher is a versatile verb that can refer to physically unplugging something or removing data or information from a file. In its Plus-que-parfait tense, it is used to describe a completed action that happened before another action in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais défiché J’avais défiché tous les documents. I had removed all the files.
tu tu avais défiché Tu avais défiché le dossier. You had removed the folder.
il il avait défiché Il avait défiché les cartes. He had removed the cards.
elle elle avait défiché Elle avait défiché le livre. She had removed the book.
on on avait défiché On avait défiché le disque dur. One had removed the hard drive.
nous nous avions défiché Nous avions défiché le fichier. We had removed the file.
vous vous aviez défiché Vous aviez défiché le programme. You had removed the program.
ils ils avaient défiché Ils avaient défiché les données. They had removed the data.
elles elles avaient défiché Elles avaient défiché les informations. They had removed the information.

Other Conjugations for Déficher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déficher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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