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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désenfiler

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The English translation of the French verb désenfiler is “to unthread” or “to remove from a thread”. It is pronounced “day-zehn-feel-ay”.

The language origin of désenfiler comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” meaning “un-” or “dis-” and the verb “enfiler” which means “to thread”. The prefix “dé-” often has the connotation of reversing or undoing an action, which is why désenfiler means to unthread or remove from a thread.

In everyday French, désenfiler is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense when expressing a hypothetical or past unreal situation. This tense is formed by using the past tense of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of the verb. It is used to talk about something that could have happened but didn’t, or to express a desire or regret about a past event.

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

  1. Si j’avais suivi la méthode de ma grand-mère, j’aurais désenfilé le fil avant de le couper. (If I had followed my grandmother’s method, I would have unthreaded the thread before cutting it.)
  2. J’aurais préféré que tu désenfiles les perles une par une au lieu de les couper. (I would have preferred if you had unthreaded the beads one by one instead of cutting them.)
  3. Il était temps que nous désenfilions les décorations de Noël avant que les invités n’arrivent. (It was time for us to unthread the Christmas decorations before the guests arrived.)

In all three examples, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express a past unreal situation or a desire for something to have been done differently.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse désenfilé Je regrette que je eusse désenfilé. I regret that I had taken off.
tu eusses désenfilé Je regrette que tu eusses désenfilé. I regret that you had taken off.
il eût désenfilé Je regrette qu’il eût désenfilé. I regret that he had taken off.
elle eût désenfilé Je regrette qu’elle eût désenfilé. I regret that she had taken off.
on eût désenfilé Je regrette qu’on eût désenfilé. I regret that one had taken off.
nous eussions désenfilé Je regrette que nous eussions désenfilé. I regret that we had taken off.
vous eussiez désenfilé Je regrette que vous eussiez désenfilé. I regret that you had taken off.
ils eussent désenfilé Je regrette qu’ils eussent désenfilé. I regret that they had taken off.
elles eussent désenfilé Je regrette qu’elles eussent désenfilé. I regret that they had taken off.

Other Conjugations for Désenfiler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désenfiler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Désenfiler – 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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