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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désenivrer

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The English translation of the French verb désenivrer is “to sober up.” It is pronounced “day-zuh-nee-vray.”

The word désenivrer is derived from the prefix dés-, meaning “undo” or “remove,” and the noun ivresse, meaning “intoxication” or “drunkenness.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait (Past Perfect) tense, which is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action. This tense is often used to talk about past events or to narrate a story.

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

  1. J’avais désenivré mon ami avant que ses parents n’arrivent. (I had sobered up my friend before his parents arrived.)
  2. Elle avait désenivré son frère avant qu’il ne conduise. (She had sobered up her brother before he drove.)
  3. Ils avaient désenivré leur voisin avant qu’il ne fasse une grosse bêtise. (They had sobered up their neighbor before he did something stupid.)

In all of these examples, the action of désenivrer (sobering up) was completed before another past action (the arrival of the parents, the driving, the stupid mistake). It is often used in stories or anecdotes to indicate a change in the state of intoxication before a certain event.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais désenivré J’avais désenivré mon ami. I had sobered up my friend.
tu tu avais désenivré Tu avais désenivré le conducteur. You had sobered up the driver.
il il avait désenivré Il avait désenivré son collègue. He had sobered up his colleague.
elle elle avait désenivré Elle avait désenivré sa sœur. She had sobered up her sister.
on on avait désenivré On avait désenivré le fêtard. One had sobered up the partygoer.
nous nous avions désenivré Nous avions désenivré le groupe. We had sobered up the group.
vous vous aviez désenivré Vous aviez désenivré les invités. You had sobered up the guests.
ils ils avaient désenivré Ils avaient désenivré les personnes. They had sobered up the individuals.
elles elles avaient désenivré Elles avaient désenivré leurs amis. They had sobered up their friends.

Other Conjugations for Désenivrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désenivrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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