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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb absenter

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The English translation of the French verb absenter is “to absent oneself” or “to be absent.” The infinitive form is pronounced [ap.sɑ̃.te].

The word absenter comes from the Latin word “absentare,” which means “to be absent.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to express actions or events that were completed before another past action or event.

Examples of the usage of absenter in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense include:

  1. J’avais peur qu’il se soit absenté pendant mon absence. (I was afraid that he had absent himself while I was away.)
  2. Elle était déçue que nous nous soyons absentés à son anniversaire. (She was disappointed that we had been absent at her birthday party.)
  3. Il était étonné que tu te sois absenté sans prévenir. (He was surprised that you had absent yourself without warning.)

English translations:

  1. I was afraid that he had been absent during my absence.
  2. She was disappointed that we had been absent at her birthday party.
  3. He was surprised that you had been absent without warning.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je me fusse absenté Si j’avais su, je me fusse absenté. If I had known, I would have left.
tu te fusses absenté Si tu avais su, tu te fusses absenté. If you had known, you would have left.
il se fût absenté Si il avait su, il se fût absenté. If he had known, he would have left.
elle se fût absentée Si elle avait su, elle se fût absentée. If she had known, she would have left.
on se fût absenté Si on avait su, on se fût absenté. If one had known, one would have left.
nous nous fussions absentés Si nous avions su, nous nous fussions absentés. If we had known, we would have left.
vous vous fussiez absentés Si vous aviez su, vous vous fussiez absentés. If you had known, you would have left.
ils se fussent absentés Si ils avaient su, ils se fussent absentés. If they had known, they would have left.
elles se fussent absentées Si elles avaient su, elles se fussent absentées. If they had known, they would have left.

Other Conjugations for Absenter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb absenter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Absenter – 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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