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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désister

Get the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) tense conjugation of désister. 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 désister is “to withdraw” or “to give up.” It is pronounced as “day-zee-stay.”

The language origin of désister can be traced back to the Latin term “desistere,” meaning “to stand away.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical past action that did not occur.

Here are three examples of its usage in this tense with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais désisté avant qu’il ne soit trop tard. (I had given up before it was too late.)
  2. Si tu m’avais écouté, je n’aurais pas désisté. (If you had listened to me, I wouldn’t have given up.)
  3. Elle aurait pu gagner si elle n’avait pas désisté à la dernière minute. (She could have won if she had not withdrawn at the last minute.)

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

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 I wish I had withdrawn.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 I wish you had withdrawn.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 I wish he had withdrawn.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 I wish she had withdrawn.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 I wish one had withdrawn.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 I wish we had withdrawn.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 I wish you had withdrawn.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 I wish they had withdrawn.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 I wish they had withdrawn.

Other Conjugations for Désister.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Similar Posts