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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débâcler

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The English translation of the French verb débâcler is “to collapse” or “to fail.” It is pronounced as [dey-bah-klay] in its infinitive form.

Débâcler comes from the Old French word “desbacler” which means “to unbend” or “to unfasten.” It is derived from the Latin word “de-” meaning “off” and “baculum” meaning “stick.” In everyday French, débâcler is most often used in the subjonctif plus-que-parfait tense, which is a past tense used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place before another past action.

Examples of débâcler in Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais peur que mes projets débâclent si je n’avais pas pris des mesures préventives. (I was afraid that my plans would fail if I hadn’t taken preventive measures.)

  2. Il pensait que si son entreprise avait débâclé, il n’aurait jamais réussi à se relever. (He thought that if his company had collapsed, he would have never been able to recover.)

  3. Elle s’en voulait de ne pas avoir écouté ses amis, car si elle l’avait fait, elle n’aurait pas débâclé son mariage. (She regretted not listening to her friends, because if she had, she wouldn’t have ruined her marriage.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse débâclé Il est possible que je eusse débâclé. It is possible that I had failed.
tu eusses débâclé Il est possible que tu eusses débâclé. It is possible that you had failed.
il eût débâclé Il est possible qu’il eût débâclé. It is possible that he had failed.
elle eût débâclé Il est possible qu’elle eût débâclé. It is possible that she had failed.
on eût débâclé Il est possible qu’on eût débâclé. It is possible that one had failed.
nous eussions débâclé Il est possible que nous eussions débâclé. It is possible that we had failed.
vous eussiez débâclé Il est possible que vous eussiez débâclé. It is possible that you had failed.
ils eussent débâclé Il est possible qu’ils eussent débâclé. It is possible that they had failed.
elles eussent débâclé Il est possible qu’elles eussent débâclé. It is possible that they had failed.

Other Conjugations for Débâcler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâcler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Débâcler – 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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