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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb avérer

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The English translation of the French verb avérer is “to prove” or “to turn out to be.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ah-vair-ay.”

The word “avérer” comes from the Latin word “averare” which means “to confirm” or “to make true.” It entered the French language in the 13th century and has been used in various contexts since then. In everyday French, “avérer” is most often used to express certainty or confirmation of a fact or situation.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, “avérer” is used to express past hypothetical situations or events. It is often used in conditional or reported speech, when there is doubt about the truthfulness of the statement. Here are three simple examples of “avérer” in this tense, with their English translations:

  1. Il m’avait dit que le plat serait délicieux, mais cela ne s’est pas avéré. (He had told me that the dish would be delicious, but it didn’t turn out to be true.)
  2. Si j’avais suivi ses conseils, les choses se seraient peut-être mieux avérées. (If I had followed his advice, things might have turned out better.)
  3. Elle a toujours prétendu être riche, mais cela s’est finalement avéré faux. (She always claimed to be rich, but it turned out to be false in the end.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse avéré J’aurais aimé que je eusse avéré. I wish I had proven.
tu eusses avéré J’aurais aimé que tu eusses avéré. I wish you had proven.
il eût avéré J’aurais aimé qu’il eût avéré. I wish he had proven.
elle eût avéré J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût avéré. I wish she had proven.
on eût avéré J’aurais aimé qu’on eût avéré. I wish one had proven.
nous eussions avéré J’aurais aimé que nous eussions avéré. I wish we had proven.
vous eussiez avéré J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez avéré. I wish you had proven.
ils eussent avéré J’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent avéré. I wish they had proven.
elles eussent avéré J’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent avéré. I wish they had proven.

Other Conjugations for Avérer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb avérer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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

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