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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aiguiser

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The English translation of the French verb aiguiser is “to sharpen.” The infinitive form, aiguiser, is pronounced as “eh-gwee-zay.”

The word aiguiser comes from the Old French word “aguise,” which means “to sharpen” or “to make sharp.” It is derived from the Latin word “acus,” meaning “needle” or “sharp point.”

In everyday French, aiguiser is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense when expressing a past hypothetical action or event, often in conjunction with the word “si” (if). This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Subjonctif Imparfait, followed by the past participle of the verb.

Three simple examples of aiguiser in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. Si j’avais aiguisé mes couteaux hier, ils couperaient mieux aujourd’hui. (If I had sharpened my knives yesterday, they would cut better today.)

  2. Il aurait mieux fait de ne pas aiguiser cette scie rouillée. (He should not have sharpened this rusty saw.)

  3. Nous aurions dû aiguiser nos compétences linguistiques avant de voyager en France. (We should have sharpened our language skills before traveling to France.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse aiguisé Il aurait aimé que je eusse aiguisé le couteau. He wished I had sharpened the knife.
tu eusses aiguisé Il aurait aimé que tu eusses aiguisé le couteau. He wished you had sharpened the knife.
il eût aiguisé Il aurait aimé qu’il eût aiguisé le couteau. He wished he had sharpened the knife.
elle eût aiguisé Il aurait aimé qu’elle eût aiguisé le couteau. He wished she had sharpened the knife.
on eût aiguisé Il aurait aimé qu’on eût aiguisé le couteau. He wished one had sharpened the knife.
nous eussions aiguisé Il aurait aimé que nous eussions aiguisé le couteau. He wished we had sharpened the knife.
vous eussiez aiguisé Il aurait aimé que vous eussiez aiguisé le couteau. He wished you had sharpened the knife.
ils eussent aiguisé Il aurait aimé qu’ils eussent aiguisé le couteau. He wished they had sharpened the knife.
elles eussent aiguisé Il aurait aimé qu’elles eussent aiguisé le couteau. He wished they had sharpened the knife.

Other Conjugations for Aiguiser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aiguiser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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