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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déstresser

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The English translation of the French verb déstresser is “to destress” or “to relax.” It is pronounced as “day-streh-say” in its infinitive form.

Déstresser is a compound word formed from the prefix “dé-” meaning “to remove” and the noun “stress.” It can be traced back to the Latin word “strictus” meaning “to be drawn tight.” In everyday French, déstresser is most often used in its infinitive form as a reflexive verb, “se déstresser,” meaning “to relax oneself.”

When used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, déstresser expresses an action that occurred before another action in the past. It is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “être” in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense followed by the past participle “déstressé.” For example:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu te sois déstressé avant de commencer ton examen. (I wish you had relaxed before starting your exam.)

  2. Il était nécessaire qu’elle se soit déstressée avant de prendre une décision. (It was necessary for her to have relaxed before making a decision.)

  3. Nous aurions dû nous être déstressés avant de partir en vacances. (We should have relaxed before going on vacation.)

These examples show how déstresser is used in its reflexive form in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express actions that occurred before another past action with a sense of regret or necessity.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Déstresser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déstresser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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