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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dévisser

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The English translation of the French verb dévisser is “to unscrew.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-vee-say.”

Dévisser comes from the French word “vis,” meaning “screw” and the prefix “de,” indicating removal or undoing. It is most often used in every day French to describe the action of loosening or removing a screw or similar object.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, dévisser is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action. For example:

  1. J’avais dévissé la lampe avant que la panne de courant ne se produise. (I had unscrewed the lamp before the power outage occurred.)

  2. Tu avais dévissé le bouchon avant que je te demande de le faire. (You had unscrewed the cap before I asked you to do it.)

  3. Nous avions dévissé les roues du vélo avant de les remplacer. (We had unscrewed the bike wheels before replacing them.)

In all of these examples, dévisser is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to indicate an action that had been completed before another past action. It is often used in conjunction with other verbs to describe a sequence of events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais dévissé J’avais dévissé le bouchon. I had unscrewed the cap.
tu tu avais dévissé Tu avais dévissé la lampe. You had unscrewed the lamp.
il il avait dévissé Il avait dévissé le robinet. He had unscrewed the faucet.
elle elle avait dévissé Elle avait dévissé la plaque. She had unscrewed the plate.
on on avait dévissé On avait dévissé le tuyau. One had unscrewed the pipe.
nous nous avions dévissé Nous avions dévissé le couvercle. We had unscrewed the lid.
vous vous aviez dévissé Vous aviez dévissé l’ampoule. You had unscrewed the bulb.
ils ils avaient dévissé Ils avaient dévissé l’écrou. They had unscrewed the nut.
elles elles avaient dévissé Elles avaient dévissé la poignée. They had unscrewed the handle.

Other Conjugations for Dévisser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dévisser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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