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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dilacérer

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The English translation of the French verb dilacérer is “to tear apart” or “to rip apart.” It is pronounced dee-lah-seh-rey.

Dilacérer comes from the Latin word “dilacerare,” which means “to tear to pieces.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense.

In this tense, dilacérer is often used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or event that happened before another action in the past.

Examples:

  1. Je ne crois pas qu’il ait dilacéré le papier. (I don’t think he tore the paper apart.)

  2. Si j’avais su, je n’aurais pas dilacéré cette lettre. (If I had known, I wouldn’t have torn apart this letter.)

  3. Il était furieux que sa sœur eût dilacéré sa robe préférée. (He was furious that his sister had torn apart his favorite dress.)

  4. I don’t think he tore the paper apart.

  5. If I had known, I wouldn’t have torn apart this letter.

  6. He was furious that his sister had torn apart his favorite dress.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse dilacéré Il aurait été préférable que je eusse dilacéré. It would have been preferable if I had torn apart.
tu eusses dilacéré Il aurait été préférable que tu eusses dilacéré. It would have been preferable if you had torn apart.
il eût dilacéré Il aurait été préférable qu’il eût dilacéré. It would have been preferable if he had torn apart.
elle eût dilacéré Il aurait été préférable qu’elle eût dilacéré. It would have been preferable if she had torn apart.
on eût dilacéré Il aurait été préférable qu’on eût dilacéré. It would have been preferable if one had torn apart.
nous eussions dilacéré Il aurait été préférable que nous eussions dilacéré. It would have been preferable if we had torn apart.
vous eussiez dilacéré Il aurait été préférable que vous eussiez dilacéré. It would have been preferable if you had torn apart.
ils eussent dilacéré Il aurait été préférable qu’ils eussent dilacéré. It would have been preferable if they had torn apart.
elles eussent dilacéré Il aurait été préférable qu’elles eussent dilacéré. It would have been preferable if they had torn apart.

Other Conjugations for Dilacérer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dilacérer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Dilacérer – 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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