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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cafouiller

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The English translation of the French verb cafouiller is “to mess up” or “to fumble.” It is pronounced “kah-foo-ee-yay.”

The word cafouiller comes from the French noun “cafouillis,” which means “confusion” or “mess.” It is most often used in informal or colloquial French, and is often accompanied by hand gestures or facial expressions to emphasize the meaning.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, cafouiller is used to express a past action that was completely messed up or bungled. It is often used to express regret or frustration over a mistake made in the past.

Here are three simple examples of cafouiller in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais espéré que tu n’aies pas cafouillé pendant l’examen. (I had hoped that you had not messed up during the exam.)

  2. Il était clair qu’il eût cafouillé lorsqu’il a présenté son projet. (It was clear that he had messed up when he presented his project.)

  3. Nous aurions dû leur parler avant qu’ils n’eussent cafouillé. (We should have talked to them before they messed up.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Cafouiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cafouiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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