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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caresser

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The English translation of the French verb caresser is “to caress.” It is pronounced “kah-ress-ay.”

Caresser comes from the Latin word “carus,” meaning “dear” or “beloved.” It first appeared in the French language in the 13th century.

In everyday French, caresser is used to describe a gentle and affectionate touch or gesture towards someone or something. It can also be used in a more figurative sense, such as showing fondness or admiration towards something.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, caresser is used to express a past action that is hypothetical or uncertain. It is formed by using the subjunctive past tense of the auxiliary verb “avoir” (avais, avais, avait, avions, aviez, avaient) followed by the past participle of caresser (caressé).

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

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu m’aies caressé les cheveux avant de partir. (I would have liked for you to have caressed my hair before leaving.)
  2. Il aurait fallu que nous ayons caressé le chat avec plus de précaution. (We should have caressed the cat more carefully.)
  3. Elles auraient voulu que leur chien ait été caressé par tout le monde. (They would have liked for their dog to have been caressed by everyone.)

Translation:

  1. I would have liked for you to have caressed my hair before leaving.
  2. We should have caressed the cat more carefully.
  3. They would have liked for their dog to have been caressed by everyone.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse caressé J’aurais aimé que je eusse caressé mon chat. I wish I had caressed my cat.
tu eusses caressé J’aurais aimé que tu eusses caressé ton chien. I wish you had caressed your dog.
il eût caressé J’aurais aimé qu’il eût caressé sa femme. I wish he had caressed his wife.
elle eût caressé J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût caressé son mari. I wish she had caressed her husband.
on eût caressé J’aurais aimé qu’on eût caressé le bébé. I wish one had caressed the baby.
nous eussions caressé J’aurais aimé que nous eussions caressé nos animaux de compagnie. I wish we had caressed our pets.
vous eussiez caressé J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez caressé vos enfants. I wish you had caressed your children.
ils eussent caressé J’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent caressé leurs chevaux. I wish they had caressed their horses.
elles eussent caressé J’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent caressé leurs chiens. I wish they had caressed their dogs.

Other Conjugations for Caresser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caresser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Caresser – 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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