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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abandonner

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The English translation of the French verb “abandonner” is “to abandon” or “to give up.” The infinitive form “abandonner” is pronounced as “ah-bahn-doh-nay.”

The verb “abandonner” originated from the Latin word “abandonare,” which means “to leave behind.” In everyday French, “abandonner” is commonly used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express actions or states that had not been completed before another past action occurred.

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

  1. J’étais triste qu’il eût abandonné ses rêves. (I was sad that he had given up his dreams.)
  2. Elle était déçue que nous eussions abandonné le projet. (She was disappointed that we had abandoned the project.)
  3. Il était surpris que vous eussiez abandonné si facilement. (He was surprised that you had given up so easily.)

In these examples, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express actions or states that had occurred before a past action or situation, conveying a sense of regret, disappointment, or surprise.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Abandonner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner (this article)

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

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

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

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

L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

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Abandonner – 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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