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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dessaouler

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The English translation of the French verb dessaouler is “to sober up.” The infinitive form, dessaoûler, is pronounced “deh-saw-leh.”

The word dessaouler originated from the combination of two words: “de-” meaning “from” and “saoul” meaning “drunk.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the process of recovering from the effects of alcohol and becoming sober again.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, dessaouler is used to express a past action or state that is hypothetical or uncertain. It is often used in conjunction with the conjunction “que.”

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

  1. Il était temps que je me dessaoule avant de conduire. (It was time for me to sober up before driving.)
  2. Elle avait peur que son frère ne se dessaoule pas avant le dîner. (She was afraid that her brother wouldn’t sober up before dinner.)
  3. J’aurais aimé qu’il se dessaoule avant notre rendez-vous. (I wish he had sobered up before our date.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Dessaouler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessaouler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Dessaouler – 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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