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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débourser

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The English translation of the French verb débourser is “to pay” or “to spend.” The infinitive form, débourser, is pronounced as “day-boor-zay.”

The word débourser comes from the Old French term desbours which means “to pay or spend.” It is derived from the Latin word disbursum, which is a combination of dis- (meaning “away”) and bursa (meaning “purse” or “money bag”).

In everyday French, débourser is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses an action that has already been completed in the past and is followed by another action in the past. This tense is often used to talk about regret or hypothetical situations.

Here are three examples of débourser in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu aies déboursé plus d’argent pour notre voyage. (I wish you had spent more money on our trip.)

  2. Il aurait fallu qu’il eût déboursé moins d’argent pour éviter cette faillite. (He would have had to spend less money to avoid this bankruptcy.)

  3. Nous aurions aimé que vous eussiez déboursé plus pour cette œuvre de bienfaisance. (We would have liked for you to have paid more for this charitable cause.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Débourser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débourser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Débourser – 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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