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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dérayer

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The English translation of the French verb dérayer is “to clear,” “to unblock,” or “to unclog.” It is pronounced as “day-ray-ay.”

Dérayer originates from the Old French word “derroier,” which comes from the Latin word “dirigere” meaning “to direct” or “to guide.” In everyday French, dérayer is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, also known as the past perfect tense, to indicate an action that took place before another action in the past.

Here are three examples of dérayer in the Plus-que-parfait tense and their English translations:

  1. J’avais dérayé la canalisation avant que l’eau ne déborde. (I had cleared the pipes before the water overflowed.)
  2. Les enfants avaient dérayé le chemin avant que les voitures n’arrivent. (The children had cleared the path before the cars arrived.)
  3. Hier soir, il avait dérayé la route pour que les pompiers puissent accéder à l’incendie. (Last night, he had unblocked the road so that the firefighters could access the fire.)

In each of these examples, dérayer is used to describe an action that was completed before a specific event or action in the past. It is commonly used in storytelling or when narrating past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais dérayé J’avais dérayé la route. I had cleared the road.
tu tu avais dérayé Tu avais dérayé la table. You had cleared the table.
il il avait dérayé Il avait dérayé le chemin. He had cleared the path.
elle elle avait dérayé Elle avait dérayé le trottoir. She had cleared the sidewalk.
on on avait dérayé On avait dérayé la voie ferrée. One had cleared the train track.
nous nous avions dérayé Nous avions dérayé les feuilles. We had cleared the leaves.
vous vous aviez dérayé Vous aviez dérayé le passage. You had cleared the passage.
ils ils avaient dérayé Ils avaient dérayé la chaussée. They had cleared the road.
elles elles avaient dérayé Elles avaient dérayé la plage. They had cleared the beach.

Other Conjugations for Dérayer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dérayer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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