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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb assumer

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The English translation of the French verb assumer is “to assume.” It is pronounced as ah-soo-may.

The word “assumer” comes from the Latin word “assumere,” meaning “to take up” or “to undertake.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense. This tense is used to express actions or events that are hypothetical, uncertain, or have not yet happened in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’aurais assumé si j’avais eu plus de temps. (I would have assumed if I had had more time.)

  2. Il était temps que tu aies assumé tes responsabilités. (It was time for you to have assumed your responsibilities.)

  3. Nous aurions assumé si nous avions su que c’était important. (We would have assumed if we had known it was important.)

  4. I would have assumed if I had had more time.

  5. It was time for you to have assumed your responsibilities.

  6. We would have assumed if we had known it was important.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse assumé J’aurais préféré que je eusse assumé. I would have preferred if I had taken on.
tu eusses assumé J’aurais préféré que tu eusses assumé. I would have preferred if you had taken on.
il eût assumé J’aurais préféré qu’il eût assumé. I would have preferred if he had taken on.
elle eût assumé J’aurais préféré qu’elle eût assumé. I would have preferred if she had taken on.
on eût assumé J’aurais préféré qu’on eût assumé. I would have preferred if one had taken on.
nous eussions assumé J’aurais préféré que nous eussions assumé. I would have preferred if we had taken on.
vous eussiez assumé J’aurais préféré que vous eussiez assumé. I would have preferred if you had taken on.
ils eussent assumé J’aurais préféré qu’ils eussent assumé. I would have preferred if they had taken on.
elles eussent assumé J’aurais préféré qu’elles eussent assumé. I would have preferred if they had taken on.

Other Conjugations for Assumer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb assumer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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