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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désamarrer

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The English translation of the French verb désamarrer is “to untie” or “to unmoor.” The infinitive form is pronounced “day-zah-mah-ray.”

The word désamarrer comes from the combination of the prefix “dés-” meaning “un-” or “de-” and the verb “amarrer” meaning “to moor” or “to tie.” Together, it literally means “to untie from mooring.”

In everyday French, désamarrer is most commonly used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses an action that was completed before another past action. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Subjonctif Imparfait followed by the past participle of the verb.

  1. J’aurais désamarré le bateau avant que la tempête n’arrive. (I would have untied the boat before the storm arrived.)
  2. Tu serais désamarré du quai si je ne t’avais pas aidé. (You would have untied from the dock if I hadn’t helped you.)
  3. Les marins auraient désamarré les cordages avant de quitter le port. (The sailors would have untied the ropes before leaving the port.)

In these examples, désamarrer is used to express an action that was completed before another past action. The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is commonly used in conversations and storytelling in French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse désamarré Je regrette que je eusse désamarré le bateau. I wish I had untied the boat.
tu eusses désamarré Je regrette que tu eusses désamarré le bateau. I wish you had untied the boat.
il eût désamarré Je regrette qu’il eût désamarré le bateau. I wish he had untied the boat.
elle eût désamarré Je regrette qu’elle eût désamarré le bateau. I wish she had untied the boat.
on eût désamarré Je regrette qu’on eût désamarré le bateau. I wish one had untied the boat.
nous eussions désamarré Je regrette que nous eussions désamarré le bateau. I wish we had untied the boat.
vous eussiez désamarré Je regrette que vous eussiez désamarré le bateau. I wish you had untied the boat.
ils eussent désamarré Je regrette qu’ils eussent désamarré le bateau. I wish they had untied the boat.
elles eussent désamarré Je regrette qu’elles eussent désamarré le bateau. I wish they had untied the boat.

Other Conjugations for Désamarrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désamarrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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