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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débobiner

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The English translation of the French verb débobiner is “to unravel” or “to unwind.” It is pronounced “day-bo-bee-nay.”

The origin of débobiner is from the prefix “dé-” meaning “undo” or “take apart” and the word “bobine” meaning “spool.” In everyday French, débobiner is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express an action that would have happened in the past if a certain condition had been met.

Example 1: Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais débobiné toute la pelote de laine. (If I had had more time, I would have unraveled the entire ball of yarn.)
Example 2: Il aurait débobiné le fil mais il a réalisé qu’il n’avait pas besoin de le faire. (He would have unwound the thread but he realized he didn’t need to do it.)
Example 3: Si nous avions suivi les instructions, nous aurions débobiné le câble avant de le brancher. (If we had followed the instructions, we would have unraveled the cable before plugging it in.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Débobiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débobiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Débobiner – 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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