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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb camembérer

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The English translation of the French verb camembérer is “to camembert”, which is the action of melting or covering something with camembert cheese. The infinitive form is pronounced as “kah-mum-beh-ray”.

The word camembérer is derived from the name of the French cheese “Camembert”, which originated in Normandy in the late 18th century. The word “camembert” itself comes from the Latin word “campus” meaning “field” and “ambactus” meaning “servant”, as the cheese was traditionally made by farmers in the fields.

In everyday French, camembérer is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past tense of the subjunctive mood. This tense is used to express actions that have already been completed in the past in relation to another past action.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais déjà terminé de camembérer le pain lorsque tu es arrivé. (I had already finished camemberting the bread when you arrived.)
  2. Ils avaient oublié de camembérer les pommes de terre avant de les mettre au four. (They had forgotten to camembert the potatoes before putting them in the oven.)
  3. Elle était très fière d’avoir réussi à camembérer le gâteau pour son anniversaire. (She was very proud to have managed to camembert the cake for her birthday.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse camembéré Si j’avais su, j’aurais souhaité que je eusse camembéré. If I had known, I would have wished that I had camembéré.
tu eusses camembéré Si j’avais su, j’aurais souhaité que tu eusses camembéré. If I had known, I would have wished that you had camembéré.
il eût camembéré Si j’avais su, j’aurais souhaité qu’il eût camembéré. If I had known, I would have wished that he had camembéré.
elle eût camembéré Si j’avais su, j’aurais souhaité qu’elle eût camembéré. If I had known, I would have wished that she had camembéré.
on eût camembéré Si j’avais su, j’aurais souhaité qu’on eût camembéré. If I had known, I would have wished that one had camembéré.
nous eussions camembéré Si j’avais su, j’aurais souhaité que nous eussions camembéré. If I had known, I would have wished that we had camembéré.
vous eussiez camembéré Si j’avais su, j’aurais souhaité que vous eussiez camembéré. If I had known, I would have wished that you had camembéré.
ils eussent camembéré Si j’avais su, j’aurais souhaité qu’ils eussent camembéré. If I had known, I would have wished that they had camembéré.
elles eussent camembéré Si j’avais su, j’aurais souhaité qu’elles eussent camembéré. If I had known, I would have wished that they had camembéré.

Other Conjugations for Camembérer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb camembérer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb camembérer
    (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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Camembérer – 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.

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