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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb calligraphier

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The English translation of the French verb calligraphier is “to calligraphy” or “to write in a beautiful or ornamental handwriting.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “kah-lee-grah-fee-yay.”

Calligraphier comes from the Greek words kallos, meaning “beauty,” and graphein, meaning “to write.” It entered the French language in the 13th century as a term for beautiful handwriting and evolved into the verb form in the 19th century.

In everyday French, calligraphier is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a past action or event that was completed before another past action or event. This tense is formed by using the imperfect subjunctive of the auxiliary verb avoir or être followed by the past participle of calligraphier.

Here are 3 simple examples of calligraphier in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais calligraphié toutes les invitations avant que les invités n’arrivent. (I had calligraphed all the invitations before the guests arrived.)

  2. Il était content que je lui aie calligraphié son discours pour la cérémonie. (He was happy that I had calligraphed his speech for the ceremony.)

  3. Elle était ravie que ses diplômes aient été calligraphiés avec tant d’élégance. (She was delighted that her diplomas had been calligraphed with such elegance.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Calligraphier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calligraphier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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