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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désembuer

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The English translation of désembuer is “to defog” or “to clear up.” The infinitive form of désembuer is pronounced “dey-zahnb-wey.”

Désembuer is an amalgamation of the prefix “dés-” meaning “to undo” and the verb “embaumer” meaning “to embalm.” It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the action of removing fog or condensation from a surface, such as a window or mirror.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, désembuer is commonly used to express a past hypothetical action or situation. It is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the subjonctif imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of désembuer.

Here are three simple examples of désembuer in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu aies désembué la vitre avant de partir. (I would have liked for you to have defogged the window before leaving.)

  2. Il aurait fallu que nous ayons désembué le pare-brise avant de prendre la route. (We should have cleared up the windshield before hitting the road.)

  3. Nous serions arrivés plus tôt si vous aviez désembué le miroir de l’ascenseur. (We would have arrived earlier if you had defogged the elevator mirror.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Désembuer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désembuer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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