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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décolérer

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The English translation of the French verb décolérer is “to calm down” or “to become calm.” It is pronounced as “day-koh-lay-ray” in the infinitive form.

The origin of the word décolérer can be traced back to the Latin word “decollare,” which means to remove one’s head or to decapitate. Over time, the meaning shifted to refer to removing one’s anger or calming down.

In everyday French, décolérer is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express an action that had already taken place at a specific point in the past. It is used to convey a sense of regret or disappointment about not being able to calm down or control one’s anger in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu te sois décoléré avant de parler à ton patron. (I wish you had calmed down before speaking to your boss.)

  2. Elle aurait préféré qu’il se soit décoléré avant de partir en voyage. (She would have preferred him to have calmed down before leaving on the trip.)

  3. Nous aurions dû nous décolérer plus tôt pour éviter cette dispute. (We should have calmed down earlier to avoid this argument.)

In each of these examples, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express something that had already happened in the past, but with a sense of regret or disappointment. The verb décolérer highlights the inability to calm down or control one’s anger at that moment in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je fusse décoléré Il aurait fallu que je fusse décoléré. I should have been angry.
tu fusses décoléré Il aurait fallu que tu fusses décoléré. You should have been angry.
il fût décoléré Il aurait fallu qu’il fût décoléré. He should have been angry.
elle fût décolérée Il aurait fallu qu’elle fût décolérée. She should have been angry.
on fût décoléré Il aurait fallu qu’on fût décoléré. One should have been angry.
nous fussions décolérés Il aurait fallu que nous fussions décolérés. We should have been angry.
vous fussiez décolérés Il aurait fallu que vous fussiez décolérés. You should have been angry.
ils fussent décolérés Il aurait fallu qu’ils fussent décolérés. They should have been angry.
elles fussent décolérées Il aurait fallu qu’elles fussent décolérées. They should have been angry.

Other Conjugations for Décolérer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décolérer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Décolérer – 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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