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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dédier

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The English translation of the French verb dédier is “to dedicate” or “to devote.” It is pronounced as “dey-dee-ey” in its infinitive form.

The word dédier comes from the Latin word “dedicare” meaning “to consecrate or devote.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses something that would have happened in the past if something else had not happened. It is typically used in formal or literary contexts.

Example 1:
French: Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais dédié mon livre à mon père.
English: If I had had more time, I would have dedicated my book to my father.

Example 2:
French: Elle aurait dédié sa vie à la religion si elle n’avait pas rencontré son mari.
English: She would have devoted her life to religion if she had not met her husband.

Example 3:
French: Nous aurions dédié cette chanson à notre ami qui est mort.
English: We would have dedicated this song to our friend who passed away.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse dédié J’aurais aimé que je eusse dédié mon livre à ma mère. I wish I had dedicated my book to my mother.
tu eusses dédié J’aurais aimé que tu eusses dédié ton temps à cette cause. I wish you had dedicated your time to this cause.
il eût dédié J’aurais aimé qu’il eût dédié son projet à sa grand-mère. I wish he had dedicated his project to his grandmother.
elle eût dédié J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût dédié sa chanson à son père. I wish she had dedicated her song to her father.
on eût dédié J’aurais aimé qu’on eût dédié cette exposition à la mémoire des victimes. I wish one had dedicated this exhibition to the memory of the victims.
nous eussions dédié J’aurais aimé que nous eussions dédié notre concert à cette association. I wish we had dedicated our concert to this organization.
vous eussiez dédié J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez dédié votre temps à cette tâche. I wish you had dedicated your time to this task.
ils eussent dédié J’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent dédié leur énergie à ce projet. I wish they had dedicated their energy to this project.
elles eussent dédié J’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent dédié leur dévouement à cette cause. I wish they had dedicated their devotion to this cause.

Other Conjugations for Dédier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dédier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Dédier – 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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