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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chercher

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The English translation of the French verb chercher is “to search” or “to look for.” It is pronounced [ʃɛʁ.ʃe] in its infinitive form.

The verb chercher comes from the Latin word “circare,” meaning “to go around.” In everyday French, it is often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that would have taken place before another past action.

Example 1: J’avais cherché partout pour trouver mes clés avant de les retrouver dans ma poche.
Translation: I had searched everywhere to find my keys before finding them in my pocket.

Example 2: Il avait peut-être cherché un moyen de se faire pardonner avant que je ne lui pardonne.
Translation: He may have been looking for a way to make amends before I forgave him.

Example 3: Nous aurions cherché une solution si nous avions eu plus de temps.
Translation: We would have searched for a solution if we had had more time.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Chercher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chercher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chercher – 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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