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

Introduction to the verb déficeler

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The English translation of déficeler is “to untie” or “to unfasten”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-fee-suh-leh”.

Déficeler comes from the Latin word “deficere” which means “to loosen” or “to fail”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses an action that happened before another action in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. J’espérais que tu eusses déficelé les cadeaux avant mon arrivée. (I was hoping that you had untied the presents before my arrival.)
  2. Il fallait que nous ayons déficelé les cordes avant de hisser les voiles. (We had to untie the ropes before hoisting the sails.)
  3. Elle craignait que le voleur eût déficelé le sac à main avant qu’elle ne le retrouve. (She was afraid that the thief had unfastened the handbag before she found it.)

In each of these examples, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to indicate an action that happened before another action in the past. Déficeler is used in the past participle form, with the auxiliary verb “avoir” conjugated in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense (eusses, ayons, eût).

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

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

Other Conjugations for Déficeler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déficeler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Déficeler – 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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