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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déséchouer

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The English translation of the French verb déséchouer is “to fail/to not succeed.”

The infinitive form of déséchouer is pronounced “day-seh-shoo-ay.”

Déséchouer is a compound verb formed from the prefix “dé-” (meaning “to undo” or “to remove”) and the verb “échouer” (meaning “to fail”). It can be traced back to the Latin word “excare” which means “to miss one’s aim.”

In everyday French, déséchouer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action or point in time.

Here are three examples of how déséchouer is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais déséchoué mon examen avant de trouver un autre emploi. (I had failed my exam before finding another job.)
  2. Elle avait déséchoué à ses tentatives pour apprendre à jouer du piano. (She had failed in her attempts to learn how to play the piano.)
  3. Nous avions déséchoué notre projet de voyage en raison de problèmes financiers. (We had failed our travel project due to financial problems.)

Overall, déséchouer is a commonly used verb in French and can express a variety of failures or unsuccessful attempts, such as in academics, career, or personal goals.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais déséchoué J’avais déséchoué le bateau. I had rescued the boat.
tu tu avais déséchoué Tu avais déséchoué la voiture. You had rescued the car.
il il avait déséchoué Il avait déséchoué le navire. He had rescued the ship.
elle elle avait déséchoué Elle avait déséchoué l’avion. She had rescued the plane.
on on avait déséchoué On avait déséchoué l’hélicoptère. One had rescued the helicopter.
nous nous avions déséchoué Nous avions déséchoué le bateau. We had rescued the boat.
vous vous aviez déséchoué Vous aviez déséchoué le bateau. You had rescued the boat.
ils ils avaient déséchoué Ils avaient déséchoué le bateau. They had rescued the boat.
elles elles avaient déséchoué Elles avaient déséchoué le bateau. They had rescued the boat.

Other Conjugations for Déséchouer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déséchouer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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