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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégripper

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The English translation of the French verb dégripper is “to unjam” or “to unstick.” The infinitive form, dégripper, is pronounced as “dey-gree-pay.”

The word dégripper is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” which indicates a reversal or undoing action, and the noun “grippe” which means “grip” or “hold.” Therefore, dégripper can be interpreted as “undoing a grip” or “releasing a hold.”

In everyday French, dégripper is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the equivalent of the English past perfect subjunctive. This tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that occurred before another past action or event.

Here are three examples of dégripper used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’aurais dégrippé la porte s’il m’avait donné la clé. (I would have unjammed the door if he had given me the key.)
  2. Elle aurait pu dégripper la machine avant qu’elle ne se bloque complètement. (She could have unstuck the machine before it completely jammed.)
  3. Nous aurions dû dégripper les freins avant de partir en voyage. (We should have unjammed the brakes before going on the trip.)

In all of these examples, dégripper is used to describe an action that was supposed to be done or could have been done before a specific event or action in the past, but was not done for some reason. The use of the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense indicates that the action was uncertain or hypothetical in the past.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Dégripper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégripper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Dégripper – 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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