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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dicter

Get the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) tense conjugation of dicter. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb dicter is “to dictate.” It is pronounced as “dee-kteh,” with the emphasis on the second syllable.

The origin of the verb dicter can be traced back to the Latin word “dictare,” meaning “to dictate.” In its most common usage, dicter refers to the action of speaking or reading aloud while someone else writes down the words.

In everyday French, dicter is often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a compound tense used to express an action that has happened before another past action. This tense is formed by combining the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Subjonctif imparfait tense with the past participle of the main verb.

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

  1. Il fallait que je t’eusse dicté la lettre avant que tu partes. (I had to dictate the letter to you before you left.)
  2. Elle avait peur que son avocat ne lui eût dicté quoi dire au tribunal. (She was afraid her lawyer had dictated to her what to say in court.)
  3. Il était important que j’eusse dicté toutes les consignes avant que les élèves n’arrivent. (It was important that I had dictated all the instructions before the students arrived.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Dicter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the dicter Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts