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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désenfler

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The English translation of the French verb désenfler is “to deflate” or “to reduce swelling.” The infinitive form is pronounced “day-zawn-flay.”

The word désenfler comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” meaning “to undo” and the verb “enfler” meaning “to swell.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a past action that hypothetically could have happened.

Here are 3 simple examples of désenfler in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais désenflé mes chevilles avant la course, mais j’aurais dû mettre des bandages plus serrés.
    Translation: I had deflated my ankles before the race, but I should have put on tighter bandages.

  2. Tu avais désenflé le ballon pour qu’il ne soit pas trop gonflé, mais il a quand même éclaté.
    Translation: You had deflated the ball so it wouldn’t be too full, but it still burst.

  3. Elle avait désenflé son visage avec de la glace après son opération, mais elle aurait dû suivre les instructions du médecin pour éviter les ecchymoses.
    Translation: She had reduced the swelling on her face with ice after her surgery, but she should have followed the doctor’s instructions to avoid bruising.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse désenflé Si j’avais pris des médicaments, il aurait été mieux que je eusse désenflé. If I had taken any medication, it would have been better if I had deflated.
tu eusses désenflé Si tu n’avais pas mangé cette nourriture, il aurait été mieux que tu eusses désenflé. If you hadn’t eaten that food, it would have been better if you had deflated.
il eût désenflé Si tu avais pris du repos, il aurait été mieux qu’il eût désenflé. If he had rested, it would have been better if he had deflated.
elle eût désenflé Si tu avais pris du repos, il aurait été mieux qu’elle eût désenflé. If she had rested, it would have been better if she had deflated.
on eût désenflé Si tu avais pris du repos, il aurait été mieux qu’on eût désenflé. If one had rested, it would have been better if one had deflated.
nous eussions désenflé Si on avait su quoi faire, il aurait été mieux qu’on eût désenflé. If we had known what to do, it would have been better if we had deflated.
vous eussiez désenflé Si vous aviez appelé un médecin, il aurait été mieux que vous eussiez désenflé. If you had called a doctor, it would have been better if you had deflated.
ils eussent désenflé Si les joueurs avaient continué à jouer, il aurait été mieux qu’ils eussent désenflé. If the players had kept playing, it would have been better if they had deflated.
elles eussent désenflé Si les joueuses avaient continué à jouer, il aurait été mieux qu’elles eussent désenflé. If the players had kept playing, it would have been better if they had deflated.

Other Conjugations for Désenfler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désenfler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Désenfler – 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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