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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb boucher

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The English translation of the French verb boucher is “to plug,” “to block,” or “to fill in.”

The infinitive form of boucher is pronounced “boo-shay.”

The language origin of boucher comes from the Old French word “bouchier,” which means “butcher.” This verb is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to express an action that is completed in the past but is still uncertain or hypothetical.

Three simple examples of boucher in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations, are:

  1. Il fallait que j’aie bouché le trou avant qu’il ne pleuve. (I had to plug the hole before it rained.)
  2. Je regrettais que tu eusses bouché la bouteille. (I regretted that you had filled the bottle.)
  3. Il était possible que nous eussions bouché la fissure, mais nous n’avions pas les outils nécessaires. (It was possible that we had blocked the crack, but we didn’t have the necessary tools.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse bouché J’aurais préféré que je eusse bouché le vin. I wish I had corked the wine.
tu eusses bouché J’aurais préféré que tu eusses bouché le vin. I wish you had corked the wine.
il eût bouché J’aurais préféré qu’il eût bouché le vin. I wish he had corked the wine.
elle eût bouché J’aurais préféré qu’elle eût bouché le vin. I wish she had corked the wine.
on eût bouché J’aurais préféré qu’on eût bouché le vin. I wish one had corked the wine.
nous eussions bouché J’aurais préféré que nous eussions bouché le vin. I wish we had corked the wine.
vous eussiez bouché J’aurais préféré que vous eussiez bouché le vin. I wish you had corked the wine.
ils eussent bouché J’aurais préféré qu’ils eussent bouché le vin. I wish they had corked the wine.
elles eussent bouché J’aurais préféré qu’elles eussent bouché le vin. I wish they had corked the wine.

Other Conjugations for Boucher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb boucher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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