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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb butter

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The English translation of the French verb “butter” is “to butter.” It is pronounced “byoo-teh” in its infinitive form.

Butter comes from the Old English word “butere,” which is derived from the Latin word “butyrum” and the Greek word “boutyron.” It is most commonly used in cooking and baking, but it can also be used in other contexts such as moisturizing skin or shining shoes.

In everyday French, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express actions that had already been completed before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of the verb.

Here are three simple examples of how “butter” can be used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais déjà beurré le pain avant que tu ne rentres à la maison. (I had already buttered the bread before you came home.)
  2. Elle était contente que j’aie beurré les croissants avant le petit déjeuner. (She was happy that I had buttered the croissants before breakfast.)
  3. Nous regrettions de ne pas avoir beurré les moules avant de les mettre au four. (We regretted not having buttered the molds before putting them in the oven.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Butter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb butter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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