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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bouchonner

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The English translation of the French verb bouchonner is “to polish” or “to buff.” It is pronounced “boo-sho-nay.”

Bouchonner comes from the word “bouchon,” which means “cork” or “stopper.” This is because the original meaning of the word bouchonner was “to stopper,” but it eventually came to refer to the action of polishing or buffing a surface.

In everyday French, bouchonner is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense. This tense is used to describe an action that happened before another past action, and is often used in subordinate clauses.

Here are three simple examples of bouchonner in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’espérais que tu eusses bouchonné la table avant que les invités n’arrivent. (I was hoping you had polished the table before the guests arrived.)

  2. Il fallait que nous eussions bouchonné les chaussures avant de sortir. (We had to have polished our shoes before going out.)

  3. Je souhaitais que vous eussiez bouchonné la voiture avant le voyage. (I wished you had polished the car before the trip.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse bouchonné Je suis déçu qu’elle eusse bouchonné. I am disappointed that I wish I had brushed.
tu eusses bouchonné J’aurais aimé que tu eusses bouchonné. I wish you had brushed.
il eût bouchonné J’aurais aimé qu’il eût bouchonné. I wish he had brushed.
elle eût bouchonné Elle aurait été contente qu’il eût bouchonné. She would have been happy if he had brushed.
on eût bouchonné J’aurais aimé qu’on eût bouchonné. I wish one had brushed.
nous eussions bouchonné J’aurais aimé que nous eussions bouchonné. I wish we had brushed.
vous eussiez bouchonné J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez bouchonné. I wish you had brushed.
ils eussent bouchonné J’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent bouchonné. I wish they had brushed.
elles eussent bouchonné J’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent bouchonné. I wish they had brushed.

Other Conjugations for Bouchonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bouchonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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