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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débiner

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The English translation of the French verb débiner is “to slander” or “to badmouth.” It is pronounced “day-bee-nay” in its infinitive form.

The word débiner comes from the French noun “débine,” which means “defeat” or “ruin.” It first appeared in the 19th century and is derived from the Latin “debere,” meaning “to owe” or “to be in debt.”

In everyday French, débiner is often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to express an action that would have already happened if certain conditions had been met in the past. It is often used with the word “si” (if) to form a conditional sentence.

Here are three simple examples of débiner used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. Si tu avais débiné ton collègue, il aurait perdu son poste. (If you had badmouthed your colleague, he would have lost his job.)
  2. Nous aurions gagné le procès si le témoin n’avait pas débiné notre client. (We would have won the trial if the witness had not slandered our client.)
  3. Elle aurait été embauchée si son ancien patron ne l’avait pas débinée auprès de ses futurs employeurs. (She would have been hired if her former boss had not badmouthed her to her future employers.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Débiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Débiner – 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.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb débiner. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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