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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb baliser

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The English translation of the French verb baliser is “to mark” or “to signal.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “bah-lee-zay.”

The word baliser comes from the Old French term “balis,” meaning “mark.” It is most commonly used in its reflexive form, “se baliser,” which means “to make one’s way,” or “to navigate.”

In everyday French, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express a past hypothetical action or event. The verb baliser is often used in this tense when talking about something that could have been marked or signaled in the past.

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

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu te sois balisé le chemin. (I wish you had marked the path for yourself.)

  2. Il aurait fallu que nous nous soyons balisés avant de commencer la randonnée. (We should have marked our way before starting the hike.)

  3. Elle aurait préféré que vous vous soyez balisés le parcours avec des panneaux. (She would have preferred if you had marked the course with signs.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Baliser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb baliser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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