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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abjurer

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The English translation of the French verb abjurer is “to renounce” or “to forswear”. The infinitive form, abjurer, is pronounced “a-bju-ray”.

The word abjurer comes from the Latin word “abiurare”, meaning “to deny on oath”. It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in various contexts throughout history. In modern French, it is most often used in legal and religious contexts.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, abjurer is used to express something that has been denied or renounced in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais abjuré mes croyances religieuses avant de partir en voyage. (I had renounced my religious beliefs before going on a trip.)
  2. Elle avait abjuré ses accusations contre lui après avoir reçu des menaces. (She had recanted her accusations against him after receiving threats.)
  3. Nous avions abjuré notre allégeance à la monarchie et avions rejoint les révolutionnaires. (We had forsaken our allegiance to the monarchy and had joined the revolutionaries.)

In these examples, the verb abjurer is used to express an action that has already taken place in the past. The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense adds a sense of doubt or uncertainty to the action, implying that the renunciation may not have been sincere or may have been influenced by external factors.

Overall, abjurer is a versatile verb that is commonly used in legal documents and religious contexts to express renunciation or denial. Its usage in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense adds a layer of complexity and uncertainty to the action being described.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse abjuré Si j’avais su, j’aurais préféré que je eusse abjuré. If I had known, I would have preferred to have renounced.
tu eusses abjuré Si j’avais su, j’aurais préféré que tu eusses abjuré. If I had known, I would have preferred you to have renounced.
il eût abjuré Si j’avais su, j’aurais préféré qu’il eût abjuré. If I had known, I would have preferred him to have renounced.
elle eût abjuré Si j’avais su, j’aurais préféré qu’elle eût abjuré. If I had known, I would have preferred her to have renounced.
on eût abjuré Si j’avais su, j’aurais préféré qu’on eût abjuré. If I had known, I would have preferred one to have renounced.
nous eussions abjuré Si j’avais su, j’aurais préféré que nous eussions abjuré. If I had known, I would have preferred us to have renounced.
vous eussiez abjuré Si j’avais su, j’aurais préféré que vous eussiez abjuré. If I had known, I would have preferred you to have renounced.
ils eussent abjuré Si j’avais su, j’aurais préféré qu’ils eussent abjuré. If I had known, I would have preferred them to have renounced.
elles eussent abjuré Si j’avais su, j’aurais préféré qu’elles eussent abjuré. If I had known, I would have preferred them to have renounced.

Other Conjugations for Abjurer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abjurer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Abjurer – 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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