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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dénitrer

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The English translation of the French verb dénitrer is “to denitrify.” It is pronounced as “dey-nee-trer.”

The word dénitrer comes from the Latin word “denitrare,” meaning “to remove nitrogen.” It is a compound word formed from the prefix “de-” meaning “to remove” and the noun “nitrate.”

In everyday French, dénitrer is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense. This tense is used to express a hypothetical action that happened before another action in the past. It is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the subjunctive present tense and adding the past participle of the main verb.

Three simple examples of dénitrer in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’espère que les bactéries ont dénitré le sol avant que nous ne plantions les légumes. (I hope that the bacteria denitrified the soil before we planted the vegetables.)

  2. Il était nécessaire que les agriculteurs aient dénitré les terres pour préserver l’environnement. (It was necessary for the farmers to denitrify the land to protect the environment.)

  3. Les scientifiques disent que si les usines avaient dénitré les eaux usées, la qualité de l’eau serait meilleure. (Scientists say that if the factories had denitrified the wastewater, the water quality would be better.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Dénitrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dénitrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Dénitrer – 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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