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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bousiller

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The English translation of the French verb bousiller is “to ruin” or “to wreck.” It is pronounced as “boo-zee-yay” in its infinitive form.

The origin of the verb bousiller can be traced back to the word “bousille,” which in Old French meant “to beat” or “to smash.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or unreal action in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect subjunctive form followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Three simple examples of using bousiller in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais bousillé mon téléphone si je n’avais pas acheté une nouvelle coque. (I would have ruined my phone if I hadn’t bought a new case.)
  2. Elle avait bousillé sa robe en la lavant à haute température. (She would have wrecked her dress by washing it at a high temperature.)
  3. Nous avions bousillé notre soirée en se disputant. (We would have ruined our evening by arguing.)

English translations:

  1. I would have ruined my phone if I hadn’t bought a new case.
  2. She would have wrecked her dress by washing it at a high temperature.
  3. We would have ruined our evening by arguing.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Bousiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bousiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bousiller
    (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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Bousiller – 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 bousiller. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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