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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb délaver

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The English translation of the French verb délaver is “to fade.” It is pronounced as “day-lah-vay.”

The language origin of délaver comes from the Latin word “lavo” meaning “to wash.” In French, the prefix “dé-” is often used to indicate a reversal or undoing of an action, thus giving délaver the meaning of “to remove the color” or “to fade.”

In everyday French, délaver is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a past action that was completed before another past action. This tense is formed by using the past subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Here are three examples of délaver used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais peur que mes jeans se soient délavés en les lavant trop souvent. (I was afraid that my jeans had faded from washing them too often.)
  2. Elle était triste que la robe qu’elle avait achetée ait délavé après seulement quelques lavages. (She was sad that the dress she had bought had faded after only a few washes.)
  3. Nous étions contents que le soleil n’ait pas délavé les couleurs de nos maillots de bain pendant les vacances. (We were happy that the sun had not faded the colors of our swimsuits during our vacation.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Délaver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délaver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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