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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défaufiler

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The English translation of the French verb défaufiler is “to unpick” or “to unravel.” It is pronounced as “day-foe-fee-lay.”

Défaufiler is derived from the verb “faufiler,” which means “to slip through” or “to thread.” The prefix “dé-” adds a sense of undoing or reversing to the verb, so défaufiler can be understood as undoing the action of faufiler.

In everyday French, défaufiler is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or unreal action that has already taken place in the past. This tense is formed by using the subjunctive mood of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” and the past participle of the main verb.

Here are three simple examples of défaufiler in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense and their English translations:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu m’aies défaufilé ce pull avant de le donner à ta sœur.
    (I wish you had unpicked this sweater before giving it to your sister.)

  2. Il fallait que j’eusse défaufilé tous les points avant de recommencer le tricot.
    (I had to have unpicked all the stitches before restarting the knitting.)

  3. Je regrette que vous n’ayez pas défaufilé ces coutures avant de coudre les deux pièces ensemble.
    (I regret that you didn’t unpick these seams before sewing the two pieces together.)

In all three examples, défaufiler is used in the hypothetical sense, expressing an action that did not actually take place in the past.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Défaufiler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défaufiler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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