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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dévisser

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The English translation of the French verb “dévisser” is “to unscrew.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-vee-say.”

The word “dévisser” comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” and the verb “visser” meaning “to screw.” This verb is most commonly used in its literal sense, to describe the action of removing a screw from something.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, dévisser is used to express a past action that is uncertain or hypothetical. It is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense and adding the past participle “dévissé.”

Here are 3 simple examples of the use of dévisser in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Il avait fallu que j’aie dévissé la vis pour libérer le couvercle. (I had to have unscrewed the screw to free the lid.)

  2. Je doutais qu’elle eût dévissé la poignée de la porte. (I doubted that she had unscrewed the door handle.)

  3. Il aurait été mieux qu’il eût dévissé les boulons au lieu de les casser. (It would have been better if he had unscrewed the bolts instead of breaking them.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Dévisser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dévisser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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