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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déplier

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The English translation of the French verb déplier is “to unfold.” It is pronounced as “deuh-plee-ay.”

Déplier comes from the French words “dé-” meaning “un-” and “plier” meaning “to fold.” This verb is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of unfolding something, whether it be a piece of paper or a piece of clothing. It can also be used figuratively to mean “to unravel” or “to disclose.”

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, déplier is conjugated as “j’avais déplié” for the first person singular form, “tu avais déplié” for the second person singular form, “il/elle avait déplié” for the third person singular form, “nous avions déplié” for the first person plural form, “vous aviez déplié” for the second person plural form, and “ils/elles avaient déplié” for the third person plural form.

Here are three examples of déplier used in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais déplié le plan avant qu’il n’arrive. (I had unfolded the map before he arrived.)
  2. Tu avais déplié tes ailes pour t’envoler. (You had spread your wings to fly away.)
  3. Ils avaient déplié leur tente avant la tombée de la nuit. (They had set up their tent before nightfall.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais déplié J’avais déplié la carte. I had unfolded the map.
tu tu avais déplié Tu avais déplié le papier. You had unfolded the paper.
il il avait déplié Il avait déplié le journal. He had unfolded the newspaper.
elle elle avait déplié Elle avait déplié la serviette. She had unfolded the towel.
on on avait déplié On avait déplié le tissu. One had unfolded the fabric.
nous nous avions déplié Nous avions déplié le plan. We had unfolded the plan.
vous vous aviez déplié Vous aviez déplié le document. You had unfolded the document.
ils ils avaient déplié Ils avaient déplié le linge. They had unfolded the laundry.
elles elles avaient déplié Elles avaient déplié la nappe. They had unfolded the tablecloth.

Other Conjugations for Déplier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déplier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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