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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dételer

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The English translation of the French verb dételer is “to unhitch” or “to unyoke”. It is pronounced as “day-tuh-lay”.

The word dételer comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-“, which indicates removal or separation, and the verb “atteler” meaning “to hitch” or “to yoke”. It is most often used in everyday French when referring to the act of unfastening or disconnecting a hitch or harness from an animal or vehicle.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, dételer is used to express a hypothetical or unreal action that took place before another past event. Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu aies dételer les chevaux avant que la pluie ne commence. (I wish you had unhitched the horses before the rain started.)
  2. Il était important que vous eussiez dételer le tracteur avant qu’il ne fasse nuit. (It was important that you had unyoked the tractor before it got dark.)
  3. Nous aurions dû dételer les bœufs avant que la tempête n’arrive. (We should have unhitched the oxen before the storm arrived.)

Overall, dételer is a commonly used verb in everyday French, particularly in rural or agricultural settings, when referring to the act of unhitching or unyoking animals or vehicles.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Dételer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dételer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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