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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déquiller

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The English translation of the French verb déquiller is “to unhook” or “to unfasten.” It is pronounced “day-kee-yay” in its infinitive form.

Déquiller comes from the French word “quille,” which means “skittle” or “pin.” The prefix “dé-” means “un” or “de-” in English. In everyday French, déquiller is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense. This tense is used to express actions that are hypothetical or uncertain in the past.

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

  1. J’aurais déquillé la porte si j’avais eu la clé. (I would have unhooked the door if I had the key.)
  2. Tu aurais déquillé les vêtements avant de les laver. (You would have unfastened the clothes before washing them.)
  3. Elle aurait déquillé le collier si elle n’avait pas perdu le fermoir. (She would have unhooked the necklace if she hadn’t lost the clasp.)

English translations of these examples:

  1. I would have unhooked the door if I had the key.
  2. You would have unfastened the clothes before washing them.
  3. She would have unhooked the necklace if she hadn’t lost the clasp.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse déquillé Il est possible que j’eusse déquillé le verre si je l’avais lavé. It’s possible I would have knocked over the glass if I had washed it.
tu eusses déquillé Il est possible que tu eusses déquillé le verre si tu l’avais lavé. It’s possible you would have knocked over the glass if you had washed it.
il eût déquillé Il est possible qu’il eût déquillé le verre s’il l’avait lavé. It’s possible he would have knocked over the glass if he had washed it.
elle eût déquillé Il est possible qu’elle eût déquillé le verre si elle l’avait lavé. It’s possible she would have knocked over the glass if she had washed it.
on eût déquillé Il est possible qu’on eût déquillé le verre si on l’avait lavé. It’s possible one would have knocked over the glass if one had washed it.
nous eussions déquillé Il est possible que nous eussions déquillé le verre si nous l’avions lavé. It’s possible we would have knocked over the glass if we had washed it.
vous eussiez déquillé Il est possible que vous eussiez déquillé le verre si vous l’aviez lavé. It’s possible you would have knocked over the glass if you had washed it.
ils eussent déquillé Il est possible qu’ils eussent déquillé le verre s’ils l’avaient lavé. It’s possible they would have knocked over the glass if they had washed it.
elles eussent déquillé Il est possible qu’elles eussent déquillé le verre si elles l’avaient lavé. It’s possible they would have knocked over the glass if they had washed it.

Other Conjugations for Déquiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déquiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Déquiller – 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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