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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dédicacer

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The English translation of the French verb dédicacer is “to dedicate” or “to inscribe.” It is pronounced as “dey-dee-kah-sey” in its infinitive form.

The word dédicacer comes from the French word “dédicace” which means “dedication” or “inscription.” It is derived from the Latin word “dedicare” which has the same meaning.

In everyday French, dédicacer is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express an action that had already happened in the past and was completed before another past action.

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

  1. J’avais dédicacé le livre avant qu’il ne soit publié. (I had dedicated the book before it was published.)
  2. Ils étaient ravis que je leur aie dédicacé leurs exemplaires. (They were delighted that I had inscribed their copies.)
  3. Elle aurait aimé que je lui eusse dédicacé mon livre. (She would have liked me to dedicate my book to her.)

In all three examples, the dédicacer is used to indicate an action that had already taken place in the past before another past action. The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is formed by using the auxiliary verbs “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect subjunctive form followed by the past participle of dédicacer (dédicacé) and the corresponding subject pronoun.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Dédicacer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dédicacer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Dédicacer – 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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