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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb boycotter

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The English translation of the French verb boycotter is “to boycott.” It is pronounced as “bwah-koh-tay” in its infinitive form.

The word “boycotter” originated in the English language during the Irish Land League’s campaign in the 1880s, but it was popularized in French by Charles Cunningham Boycott, an English land agent who was ostracized by his tenants during the League’s boycott movement.

In everyday French, the verb boycotter is used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a hypothetical situation in the past. It is commonly used in news articles, political discussions, and social media to talk about past events that could have been different if certain actions were taken.

Here are three examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Si les manifestants n’avaient pas boycotté les élections présidentielles, le résultat aurait été différent. (If the protesters had not boycotted the presidential elections, the outcome would have been different.)
  2. J’avais conseillé à mes amis de boycotter le nouveau restaurant, mais ils n’ont pas écouté. (I had advised my friends to boycott the new restaurant, but they did not listen.)
  3. La compagnie aérienne aurait dû écouter les demandes des employés avant qu’ils ne décident de boycotter le vol. (The airline should have listened to the employees’ demands before they decided to boycott the flight.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse boycotté Je me demande si j’eusse boycotté. I wonder if I had boycotted.
tu eusses boycotté Tu te demandes si tu eusses boycotté. You wonder if you had boycotted.
il eût boycotté Il se demande s’il eût boycotté. He wonders if he had boycotted.
elle eût boycotté Elle se demande si elle eût boycotté. She wonders if she had boycotted.
on eût boycotté On se demande si on eût boycotté. One wonders if one had boycotted.
nous eussions boycotté Nous nous demandons si nous eussions boycotté. We wonder if we had boycotted.
vous eussiez boycotté Vous vous demandez si vous eussiez boycotté. You wonder if you had boycotted.
ils eussent boycotté Ils se demandent s’ils eussent boycotté. They wonder if they had boycotted.
elles eussent boycotté Elles se demandent si elles eussent boycotté. They wonder if they had boycotted.

Other Conjugations for Boycotter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb boycotter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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