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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dandiner

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The English translation of the French verb dandiner is “to sway” or “to wobble.” The infinitive form is pronounced “dahn-dee-nay.”

The word dandiner comes from the French noun “dandiner,” which means “to swing one’s hips.” It is derived from the Old French word “dandiner,” which meant “to nod or sway.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe a movement that is back and forth or side to side, often in a rhythmic or swaying motion.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, dandiner is used to describe a hypothetical action that would have happened in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. J’aurais dandiné si j’avais été plus détendu. (I would have swayed if I had been more relaxed.)

  2. Elle aurait dandiné toute la nuit si elle n’avait pas eu mal aux pieds. (She would have swayed all night if her feet hadn’t hurt.)

  3. Nous aurions dandiné ensemble si nous avions été à la même fête. (We would have swayed together if we had been at the same party.)

Table of the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of dandiner

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse dandiné J’aurais aimé que je eusse dandiné. I wish I had wiggled.
tu eusses dandiné J’aurais aimé que tu eusses dandiné. I wish you had wiggled.
il eût dandiné J’aurais aimé qu’il eût dandiné. I wish he had wiggled.
elle eût dandiné J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût dandiné. I wish she had wiggled.
on eût dandiné J’aurais aimé qu’on eût dandiné. I wish one had wiggled.
nous eussions dandiné J’aurais aimé que nous eussions dandiné. I wish we had wiggled.
vous eussiez dandiné J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez dandiné. I wish you had wiggled.
ils eussent dandiné J’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent dandiné. I wish they had wiggled.
elles eussent dandiné J’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent dandiné. I wish they had wiggled.

Other Conjugations for Dandiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dandiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dandiner
    (this article)

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Dandiner – About the French Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait, also known as the Pluperfect Subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions or states that occurred before another action in the past, and it’s used in situations where the indicative mood is in the past subjunctive or conditional mood.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait, you start with the imperfect subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être,” followed by the past participle of the main verb. 
For “avoir” verbs: Take the imperfect subjunctive form of “avoir” (e.g., j’eusse, tu eusses, il/elle eût, nous eussions, vous eussiez, ils/elles eussent). Add the past participle of the main verb. 
For “être” verbs: Take the imperfect subjunctive form of “être” (e.g., je fusse, tu fusses, il/elle fût, nous fussions, vous fussiez, ils/elles fussent). Add the past participle of the main verb.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Hypothetical Situations

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait is often used to express hypothetical or unreal actions that occurred before another past action.
For example: J’aurais aimé que tu aies fini ton travail avant que je sois arrivé. (I would have liked for you to have finished your work before I arrived.) 

Reported Speech

In reported speech, you may use the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait to convey what someone said or thought in the past. 
For example: Il m’a dit qu’il avait peur que je n’aie pas compris. (He told me that he was afraid that I hadn’t understood.) 

Doubt, Wishes, and Emotions

This tense can also be used to express doubt, wishes, and emotions about past actions. 
For example: Je doutais qu’il eût dit la vérité. (I doubted that he had told the truth.) 
J’aurais souhaité que tu fusses venu. (I would have wished for you to have come.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Present Subjunctive

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait can be used to describe past actions when the main verb is in the present subjunctive. 
For example: “Il faut que j’aie fini mon travail avant que tu partes.” (I must have finished my work before you leave.) 

Imperfect Subjunctive

It’s common to use the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait with the imperfect subjunctive in complex sentences. 
For example: “Il m’avait dit qu’il fût rentré avant la fin de la journée.” (He had told me that he had returned before the end of the day.) 

Conditional

When the main verb is in the conditional mood, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait can be used to express past unreal conditions. 
For example: “Si j’avais su, j’aurais voulu que tu aies réussi.” (If I had known, I would have wanted you to have succeeded.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait is a complex tense used to convey nuanced meanings in French. While its usage may seem intricate, it becomes more intuitive with practice and exposure to the language. It’s important to understand the context in which it’s used, as it often conveys subtleties of time, conditionality, and emotion in French sentences.

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