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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb castrer

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The English translation of the French verb castrer is “to castrate.” The infinitive form, which is the unconjugated form of the verb, is pronounced “kah-streh.”

The word castrer comes from the Latin word castrare, which means “to deprive of reproductive organs” or “to emasculate.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and has been used in various contexts since then.

In everyday French, castrer is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, also known as the past subjunctive tense. This tense is used to express actions or events that occurred before another past action. It is commonly used in formal or literary contexts.

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

  1. Il fallait que je l’eusse castré avant qu’il devienne agressif. (It was necessary for me to have castrated him before he became aggressive.)
  2. Nous souhaitions que le vétérinaire eût castré notre chien avant qu’il ne commence à marquer son territoire. (We wished that the vet had castrated our dog before he started marking his territory.)
  3. J’avais peur qu’elle eût castré mon chat sans mon consentement. (I was afraid that she had castrated my cat without my consent.)

In these examples, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express the past action of castrating, which occurred before the main past action. The use of this tense adds a sense of uncertainty or doubt to the statement, as the action may or may not have actually happened.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Castrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb castrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Castrer – 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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