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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb citer

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The English translation of the French verb citer is “to cite” or “to quote.” The infinitive form of citer is pronounced “see-tay.”

The word citer comes from the Latin word “citare” meaning “to summon” or “to quote.” It entered the French language in the 13th century and has remained a common verb since then. In everyday French, citer is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a past tense used in conjunction with the subjunctive mood to indicate an action that has already happened.

Some common uses of citer in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense include:

  1. Il fallait que je citasse mes sources dans mon rapport. (I had to cite my sources in my report.)
  2. Elle souhaitait que nous ayons cité cette phrase dans notre présentation. (She wished that we had quoted this sentence in our presentation.)
  3. Il était important que vous ayez cité les auteurs de ces idées. (It was important that you had cited the authors of these ideas.)

In these examples, citer is used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to indicate an action that had already happened in the past. The subjunctive mood is used to express a desire, wish, or necessity in these sentences.

In summary, citer is a common French verb with Latin origins that means “to cite” or “to quote.” It is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express an action that has already happened in the past, in conjunction with the subjunctive mood to indicate a desire or necessity.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Citer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Citer – 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 citer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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