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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débrailler

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The English translation of the French verb débrailler is “to dishevel” or “to mess up.” It is pronounced as “day-bra-yay.”

Débrailler is derived from the French word “brailler,” which means “to cry” or “to yell.” The prefix “dé-” intensifies the meaning to indicate a more chaotic or disorganized state.

In everyday French, débrailler is most often used in the subjonctif plus-que-parfait tense to express a past action that is uncertain, hypothetical, or contrary to reality. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the plus-que-parfait tense, followed by the past participle of débrailler.

Here are three simple examples of débrailler in the subjonctif plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’aurais aimé qu’elle ne débraillât pas ses cheveux avant le mariage. (I wish she hadn’t messed up her hair before the wedding.)

  2. Il aurait fallu que tu ne débraillasses pas ta tenue pour l’entretien d’embauche. (You should not have disheveled your outfit for the job interview.)

  3. Elle aurait préféré que je ne lui débraillasse pas sa chambre avant qu’elle rentre à la maison. (She would have preferred if I hadn’t messed up her room before she came back home.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Débrailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrailler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Débrailler – 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 débrailler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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