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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aimer

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The English translation of the French verb aimer is “to love” or “to like.” The infinitive form of aimer is pronounced as “eh-may.”

Aimer comes from the Latin word “amare,” meaning “to love.” It is one of the most common and versatile verbs in the French language, used to express love or affection towards something or someone. In everyday French, aimer is used in a variety of tenses and moods, including the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (subjunctive pluperfect) tense.

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express a hypothetical or imagined action that happened in the past. It is formed by using the imperfect tense of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” and the past participle of the main verb.

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

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu viennes avec moi. (I would have liked for you to come with me.)

  2. Il était temps que tu aies aimé quelqu’un d’autre. (It was time for you to have loved someone else.)

  3. Nous aurions aimé que vous soyez venu plus tôt. (We would have liked for you to have come earlier.)

In these examples, aimer is used to express a hypothetical or desired action in the past. It is often used in conjunction with other verbs or expressions to convey a specific meaning. For example, “il était temps que” (it was time that) is commonly used to express a long-awaited action, while “nous aurions aimé que” (we would have liked for) expresses a missed opportunity or unfulfilled desire.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse aimé J’aurais aimé que je eusse aimé. I would have loved.
tu eusses aimé J’aurais aimé que tu eusses aimé. I would have loved.
il eût aimé J’aurais aimé qu’il eût aimé. I would have loved.
elle eût aimé J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût aimé. I would have loved.
on eût aimé J’aurais aimé qu’on eût aimé. I would have loved.
nous eussions aimé J’aurais aimé que nous eussions aimé. I would have loved.
vous eussiez aimé J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez aimé. I would have loved.
ils eussent aimé J’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent aimé. I would have loved.
elles eussent aimé J’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent aimé. I would have loved.

Other Conjugations for Aimer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aimer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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