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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déforcer

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The English translation of the French verb déforcer is “to force open” or “to break open.” It is pronounced: /de-for-se/.

The word déforcer comes from the Old French word “defors,” meaning “outside” or “beyond.” It evolved into the verb déforcer, which is derived from the prefix “de-” meaning “down” and the verb “forcer” meaning “to force.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a combination of the subjunctive mood and the past perfect tense.

Examples of déforcer in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu aies déforcé la porte avant que je n’arrive. (I wish you had forced open the door before I arrived.)

  2. Il doutait que nous ayons déforcé la serrure ensemble. (He doubted that we had forced open the lock together.)

  3. Elle s’était demandé si elles avaient déforcé la fenêtre la veille. (She had wondered if they had forced open the window the day before.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Déforcer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déforcer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Déforcer – 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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