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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déboulonner

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The English translation of the French verb déboulonner is “to unbolt” or “to unscrew.” It is pronounced as “day-boo-loh-nay.”

The language origin of déboulonner comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” which means “undo” and the word “boulon” which means “bolt.” It is derived from the Latin word “bulonem” which means “a large headed nail.”

In everyday French, déboulonner is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to express an action or event that is hypothetical or contrary to reality in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the Plus-que-parfait tense and the past participle of déboulonner.

3 examples of déboulonner in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais déboulonné la roue avant que mon père ne remarque le bruit. (I had unbolted the wheel before my father noticed the noise.)
  2. Elle aurait déboulonné les étagères si elle avait su qu’elles étaient instables. (She would have unscrewed the shelves if she had known they were unstable.)
  3. Nous serions arrivés à temps si tu avais déboulonné le pneu plus rapidement. (We would have arrived on time if you had unscrewed the tire faster.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Déboulonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déboulonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Déboulonner – 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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