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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépiquer

Get the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) tense conjugation of dépiquer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb dépiquer is “to unpick” or “to unravel.” It is pronounced “day-pee-kay.”

Dépiquer comes from the Old French word “despiquer,” which is derived from the Latin words “dis” meaning “apart” and “picare” meaning “to prick.” Its most common usage in everyday French is in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to express a past action that occurred before another past action or event. It is often used in formal and literary contexts.

Three simple examples of dépiquer being used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense in everyday French are:

  1. Il fallait que je dépiquasse toutes les coutures de la robe avant de la coudre ensemble. (I had to unpick all the seams of the dress before sewing it together.)
  2. Elle regrettait d’avoir dépiqué ses études pour poursuivre une carrière dans la musique. (She regretted having unravelled her studies to pursue a career in music.)
  3. Ils ne savaient pas que la police les avait dépiqués depuis longtemps avant de les arrêter. (They didn’t know that the police had unpicked them long before arresting them.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Dépiquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépiquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the dépiquer Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts