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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dévouer

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The English translation of the French verb dévouer is “to devote.” It is pronounced as “day-voo-ay” in the infinitive form.

The verb dévouer comes from the Old French word “devouer,” which means “to consecrate or dedicate.” It originated from the Latin word “devotere,” which also means “to consecrate or vow.”

In everyday French, dévouer is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a past action that was completely devoted to a specific purpose or cause. It is often used to convey a sense of dedication or sacrifice.

Three simple examples of dévouer in this tense are:

  1. J’avais dévoué toute ma vie à mon travail avant de réaliser que j’avais négligé ma famille. (I had devoted my whole life to my work before realizing that I had neglected my family.)

  2. Elle m’avait dévoué son temps et son énergie pour m’aider à réaliser mon rêve. (She had devoted her time and energy to help me achieve my dream.)

  3. Nous avions dévoué notre fortune à la construction d’une école dans un pays en développement. (We had devoted our fortune to building a school in a developing country.)

In all of these examples, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express a past action that was completely devoted to a specific purpose or cause. The use of dévouer in this tense conveys a strong sense of dedication and selflessness.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Dévouer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dévouer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Dévouer – 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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