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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb brosser

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The English translation of the French verb brosser is “to brush”. It is pronounced as “bro-say” in its infinitive form.

Brosser has its roots in the Latin word “bruscus” meaning “rough”, and was later adapted into Old French as “brosse” which meant “bundle of twigs”. Over time, the meaning evolved to refer to the act of brushing or cleaning.

In everyday French, brosser is most commonly used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a past action that is hypothetical or uncertain. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Example 1: J’avais brossé mes dents avant de me coucher. (I had brushed my teeth before going to bed.)
Example 2: Il m’avait demandé de brosser le cheval. (He had asked me to brush the horse.)
Example 3: Nous serions arrivés plus tôt si tu avais brossé le chemin. (We would have arrived earlier if you had brushed the path.)

In all of these examples, the action of brushing was completed before another past action took place. However, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense suggests that there is a degree of uncertainty or speculation surrounding the action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse brossé J’aurais préféré que je eusse brossé. I would have preferred if I had brushed.
tu eusses brossé J’aurais préféré que tu eusses brossé. I would have preferred if you had brushed.
il eût brossé J’aurais préféré qu’il eût brossé. I would have preferred if he had brushed.
elle eût brossé J’aurais préféré qu’elle eût brossé. I would have preferred if she had brushed.
on eût brossé J’aurais préféré qu’on eût brossé. I would have preferred if one had brushed.
nous eussions brossé J’aurais préféré que nous eussions brossé. I would have preferred if we had brushed.
vous eussiez brossé J’aurais préféré que vous eussiez brossé. I would have preferred if you had brushed.
ils eussent brossé J’aurais préféré qu’ils eussent brossé. I would have preferred if they had brushed.
elles eussent brossé J’aurais préféré qu’elles eussent brossé. I would have preferred if they had brushed.

Other Conjugations for Brosser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brosser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ByMichael Burns

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) tense conjugation of grammaticaliser. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required).

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