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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caboter

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The English translation of the French verb caboter is “to coast” or “to sail close to the coast.” It is pronounced as “kah-boh-tey.”

The word caboter comes from the French word “cabot,” which means “small boat” or “ship.” It was originally used in the context of sailing close to the coastline, but it can now also refer to any type of slow and leisurely journey.

In everyday French, the verb caboter is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense. This tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action or situation that occurred before another past action.

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

  1. J’avais peur qu’il n’ait caboté toute la nuit sans pouvoir trouver un abri. (I was afraid that he had been coasting all night without being able to find shelter.)
  2. Elle craignait qu’ils n’eussent caboté jusqu’à l’île voisine sans prévenir personne. (She was afraid that they had coasted to the neighboring island without telling anyone.)
  3. Nous doutions qu’ils eussent caboté le long de la côte avant de rentrer au port. (We doubted that they had coasted along the coast before returning to the port.)

English translations:

  1. I was afraid that he had been coasting all night without being able to find shelter.
  2. She was afraid that they had coasted to the neighboring island without telling anyone.
  3. We doubted that they had coasted along the coast before returning to the port.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse caboté J’aurais aimé que je eusse caboté. I wish I had coasted.
tu eusses caboté J’aurais aimé que tu eusses caboté. I wish you had coasted.
il eût caboté J’aurais aimé qu’il eût caboté. I wish he had coasted.
elle eût caboté J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût caboté. I wish she had coasted.
on eût caboté J’aurais aimé qu’on eût caboté. I wish one had coasted.
nous eussions caboté J’aurais aimé que nous eussions caboté. I wish we had coasted.
vous eussiez caboté J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez caboté. I wish you had coas

Other Conjugations for Caboter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caboter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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