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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désalper

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The English translation of the French verb désalper is “to unhook” or “to unfasten.” It is pronounced as “day-zal-pay.”

The word désalper comes from the French prefix “dé-” meaning “undo” or “un-” and the verb “alper,” which means “to hook” or “to fasten.” Together, désalper means “to unhook” or “to unfasten.” This verb is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about an action that happened before another action in the past.

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

  1. J’avais désalpé la corde avant que la tempête n’arrive. (I had unhooked the rope before the storm arrived.)
  2. Tu avais désalpé ta ceinture avant d’aller te coucher. (You had unfastened your belt before going to bed.)
  3. Ils avaient désalpé les crochets de leur sac à dos avant de partir en randonnée. (They had unhooked the hooks on their backpack before going on a hike.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais désalpé J’avais désalpé la montagne. I had descended the mountain.
tu tu avais désalpé Tu avais désalpé le pic. You had descended the peak.
il il avait désalpé Il avait désalpé le sommet. He had descended the summit.
elle elle avait désalpé Elle avait désalpé la colline. She had descended the hill.
on on avait désalpé On avait désalpé la crête. One had descended the ridge.
nous nous avions désalpé Nous avions désalpé la vallée. We had descended the valley.
vous vous aviez désalpé Vous aviez désalpé le versant. You had descended the slope.
ils ils avaient désalpé Ils avaient désalpé la falaise. They had descended the cliff.
elles elles avaient désalpé Elles avaient désalpé le flanc. They had descended the flank.

Other Conjugations for Désalper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désalper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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