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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détailler

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The English translation of the French verb détailler is “to detail” or “to break down.” It is pronounced as “day-tah-yay.”

The language origin of détailler comes from the Old French word “detaillier,” which means “to cut in pieces.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe a process of breaking down or explaining something in a thorough and detailed manner.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, détailler is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that occurred in the past. It is formed by using the subjunctive mood of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être,” followed by the past participle of détailler.

Here are three simple examples of détailler in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais détaillé la recette avant que tu n’arrives. (I had detailed the recipe before you arrived.)
  2. Si nous avions détaillé notre projet plus tôt, nous aurions évité ces erreurs. (If we had detailed our project earlier, we would have avoided these mistakes.)
  3. Il était important que vous ayez détaillé tous les aspects du contrat avant de le signer. (It was important that you had detailed all aspects of the contract before signing it.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse détaillé J’aurais aimé que je eusse détaillé mon travail. I wish I had detailed my work.
tu eusses détaillé J’aurais aimé que tu eusses détaillé ton plan. I wish you had detailed your plan.
il eût détaillé J’aurais aimé qu’il eût détaillé sa stratégie. I wish he had detailed his strategy.
elle eût détaillé J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût détaillé sa méthode. I wish she had detailed her method.
on eût détaillé J’aurais aimé qu’on eût détaillé nos actions. I wish one had detailed our actions.
nous eussions détaillé J’aurais aimé que nous eussions détaillé nos projets. I wish we had detailed our plans.
vous eussiez détaillé J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez détaillé votre stratégie. I wish you had detailed your strategy.
ils eussent détaillé J’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent détaillé leur plan. I wish they had detailed their plan.
elles eussent détaillé J’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent détaillé leur méthode. I wish they had detailed their method.

Other Conjugations for Détailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détailler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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