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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb canoniser

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The English translation of the French verb canoniser is “to canonize.” The infinitive form, canoniser, is pronounced as “kah-noh-nee-zay.”

The word canoniser comes from the Latin word “canonizare,” which means “to place in the canon” and ultimately derives from the Greek word “kanon,” meaning “rule” or “standard.” In everyday French, canoniser is most commonly used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or unreal action in the past.

Example 1:
Il était important que le pape ait canonisé Jean-Paul II.
(It was important that the pope had canonized John Paul II.)
In this example, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait is used to express a hypothetical action in the past (the canonization of John Paul II) in relation to another past action (the importance placed on it).

Example 2:
Si j’avais été en vie à l’époque, j’aurais aimé que ma grand-mère soit canonisée.
(If I had been alive at the time, I would have liked my grandmother to be canonized.)
Here, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait is used to express a hypothetical action in the past (the canonization of the speaker’s grandmother) in relation to a past condition (if the speaker had been alive at that time).

Example 3:
Nous avions espéré que notre travail ait été canonisé par nos supérieurs.
(We had hoped that our work had been canonized by our superiors.)
In this example, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait is used to express a hypothetical action in the past (the canonization of the speaker’s work) in relation to a past belief or desire (our hope).

English translation:
Example 1: It was important that the pope had canonized John Paul II.
Example 2: If I had been alive at the time, I would have liked my grandmother to be canonized.
Example 3: We had hoped that our work had been canonized by our superiors.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Canoniser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canoniser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Canoniser – 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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