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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb basculer

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The English translation of the French verb basculer is “to tilt” or “to tip over”. It is pronounced as “bah-skoo-lay”.

The language origin of basculer can be traced back to the French word “bascule” which means “seesaw” or “balance”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or past action that was completed before another past action. It is formed by using the subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of basculer.

Examples of basculer in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais peur qu’il bascule en arrière. (I was afraid he would tip backwards.)
  2. Elle avait tout nettoyé avant que le vase ne bascule. (She had cleaned everything before the vase tipped over.)
  3. Nous avions demandé à ce que la table ne bascule pas. (We had requested that the table not tilt.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse basculé Si j’avais su, j’aurais pu le faire: si j’avais su, j’aurais pu basculer. If I had known, I could have done it: if I had known, I could have changed.
tu eusses basculé Si tu avais su, tu aurais pu le faire: si tu avais su, tu aurais pu basculer. If you had known, you could have done it: if you had known, you could have changed.
il eût basculé Si il avait su, il aurait pu le faire: si il avait su, il aurait pu basculer. If he had known, he could have done it: if he had known, he could have changed.
elle eût basculé Si elle avait su, elle aurait pu le faire: si elle avait su, elle aurait pu basculer. If she had known, she could have done it: if she had known, she could have changed.
on eût basculé Si on avait su, on aurait pu le faire: si on avait su, on aurait pu basculer. If one had known, one could have done it: if one had known, one could have changed.
nous eussions basculé Si nous avions su, nous aurions pu le faire: si nous avions su, nous aurions pu basculer. If we had known, we could have done it: if we had known, we could have changed.
vous eussiez basculé Si vous aviez su, vous auriez pu le faire: si vous aviez su, vous auriez pu basculer. If you had known, you could have done it: if you had known, you could have changed.
ils eussent basculé Si ils avaient su, ils auraient pu le faire: si ils avaient su, ils auraient pu basculer. If they had known, they could have done it: if they had known, they could have changed.
elles eussent basculé Si elles avaient su, elles auraient pu le faire: si elles avaient su, elles auraient pu basculer. If they had known, they could have done it: if they had known, they could have changed.

Other Conjugations for Basculer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb basculer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb basculer
    (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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Basculer – 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.

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