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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cerner

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The English translation of the French verb cerner is “to surround” or “to encircle.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “sair-nay.”

The word cerner comes from the Latin word cernere, meaning “to sift” or “to separate.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to express a past hypothetical action or event that did not happen.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu aies cerné le problème avant qu’il ne soit trop tard. (I wish you had surrounded the problem before it was too late.)
  2. Il aurait fallu que vous ayez cerné toutes les possibilités avant de prendre une décision. (You should have surrounded all the possibilities before making a decision.)
  3. Nous aurions préféré que vous ayez cerné le sujet plus tôt. (We would have preferred you had surrounded the subject earlier.)

In these examples, the verb cerner is used to express a past hypothetical action that did not happen, but would have been desirable. It is often used in expressing regrets or wishes about a past situation.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Cerner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cerner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cerner
    (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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Cerner – 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 cerner. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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