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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désorienter

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The English translation of the French verb désorienter is “to disorient” or “to confuse.” It is pronounced as “day-zoh-ree-on-tay.”

The word désorienter comes from the French prefix “dés-” which means “dis-” or “un-” and the word “orienter” which means “to orient” or “to direct.” In everyday French, désorienter is often used to describe a feeling of being lost or confused, either physically or mentally.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, désorienter is used to express a past hypothetical situation or action that did not actually occur. It is formed by using the past subjunctive form of avoir or être followed by the past participle of désorienter.

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

  1. J’étais désorienté qu’elle ait quitté le pays sans me dire au revoir. (I was disoriented that she had left the country without saying goodbye to me.)
  2. Il avait peur que le brouillard ne l’ait désorienté et ne l’ait perdu dans la forêt. (He was afraid that the fog had disoriented him and gotten him lost in the forest.)
  3. Nous avions peur que le décalage horaire ne nous ait désorientés lors de notre voyage en Asie. (We were afraid that jet lag had disoriented us during our trip to Asia.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Désorienter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désorienter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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