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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dérouiller

Get the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) tense conjugation of dérouiller. 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 dérouiller is “to rust off.” It is pronounced as “dey-roo-ye.”

Dérouiller comes from the French word “rouille,” meaning “rust,” with the prefix “dé” meaning “off.” It is primarily used to refer to the process of removing rust from metal objects.

In everyday French, dérouiller is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a hypothetical or unrealized action in the past. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Plus-que-parfait tense, followed by the past participle of dérouiller.

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

  1. J’aurais dérouillé tous les outils avant de les utiliser. (I would have rusted off all the tools before using them.)

  2. Elle aurait dérouillé le vieux vélo si elle en avait eu le temps. (She would have rusted off the old bike if she had had the time.)

  3. Nous serions arrivés plus tôt si nous avions dérouillé nos chaussures de randonnée. (We would have arrived earlier if we had rusted off our hiking shoes.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Dérouiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dérouiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dérouiller
    (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 dérouiller Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts