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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dessiller

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of dessiller. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb dessiller is “to open one’s eyes” or “to remove the scales from one’s eyes.” The infinitive form is pronounced “deh-see-yay.”

Dessiller comes from the French word “siller,” meaning “to close one’s eyes.” The prefix “des-” adds a sense of reversal or removal, resulting in the meaning of “to open one’s eyes.”

In everyday French, dessiller is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about an action that was completed before another past action. For example:

  1. Elle avait dessillé les yeux de son mari avant qu’il ne fasse une erreur. (She had opened her husband’s eyes before he made a mistake.)
  2. Nous avions dessillé nos yeux sur la vérité de cette affaire avant qu’il ne soit trop tard. (We had opened our eyes to the truth of this matter before it was too late.)
  3. J’avais dessillé mes yeux sur la réalité de cette société avant de prendre ma décision. (I had opened my eyes to the reality of this society before making my decision.)

In these examples, dessiller is used to describe the action of opening one’s eyes or becoming aware of something in the past. The Plus-que-parfait tense emphasizes that this action was completed before another past action (indicated by the use of “avant” meaning “before”).

English translations:

  1. She had opened her husband’s eyes before he made a mistake.
  2. We had opened our eyes to the truth of this matter before it was too late.
  3. I had opened my eyes to the reality of this society before making my decision.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais dessillé J’avais dessillé mes yeux. I had opened my eyes.
tu tu avais dessillé Tu avais dessillé ta bouche. You had unsealed your mouth.
il il avait dessillé Il avait dessillé son coeur. He had opened his heart.
elle elle avait dessillé Elle avait dessillé son esprit. She had opened her mind.
on on avait dessillé On avait dessillé nos yeux. One had opened our eyes.
nous nous avions dessillé Nous avions dessillé notre âme. We had opened our soul.
vous vous aviez dessillé Vous aviez dessillé vos oreilles. You had opened your ears.
ils ils avaient dessillé Ils avaient dessillé leur esprit. They had opened their mind.
elles elles avaient dessillé Elles avaient dessillé leur coeur. They had opened their heart.

Other Conjugations for Dessiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the dessiller Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts