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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déverrouiller

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The English translation of the French verb déverrouiller is “to unlock”. It is pronounced as “day-vay-roo-ee-ay”.

Déverrouiller comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-“, which emphasizes the idea of undoing or reversing an action, and the verb “verrouiller”, which means “to lock”. It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the action of releasing a lock or opening a locked object.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, déverrouiller is used to express an action that was completed before another action in the past. It is formed by using the subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” and the past participle of déverrouiller.

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

  1. J’aurais déverrouillé la porte avant qu’il n’arrive. (I would have unlocked the door before he arrived.)
  2. Elle serait déverrouillée la boîte avant que je ne le lui demande. (She would have unlocked the box before I asked her to.)
  3. Nous aurions déverrouillé la valise avant que la clé ne se casse. (We would have unlocked the suitcase before the key broke.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse déverrouillé Il aurait été préférable que je eusse déverrouillé la porte. It would have been preferable for me to have unlocked the door.
tu eusses déverrouillé Il aurait été préférable que tu eusses déverrouillé la porte. It would have been preferable for you to have unlocked the door.
il eût déverrouillé Il aurait été préférable qu’il eût déverrouillé la porte. It would have been preferable for him to have unlocked the door.
elle eût déverrouillé Il aurait été préférable qu’elle eût déverrouillé la porte. It would have been preferable for her to have unlocked the door.
on eût déverrouillé Il aurait été préférable qu’on eût déverrouillé la porte. It would have been preferable for one to have unlocked the door.
nous eussions déverrouillé Il aurait été préférable que nous eussions déverrouillé la porte. It would have been preferable for us to have unlocked the door.
vous eussiez déverrouillé Il aurait été préférable que vous eussiez déverrouillé la porte. It would have been preferable for you to have unlocked the door.
ils eussent déverrouillé Il aurait été préférable qu’ils eussent déverrouillé la porte. It would have been preferable for them to have unlocked the door.
elles eussent déverrouillé Il aurait été préférable qu’elles eussent déverrouillé la porte. It would have been preferable for them to have unlocked the door.

Other Conjugations for Déverrouiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déverrouiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Déverrouiller – 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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