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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb civiliser

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The English translation of the French verb civiliser is “to civilize.” The infinitive form of civiliser is pronounced “see-vee-lee-zay.”

The word civiliser comes from the Latin word “civis” meaning “citizen.” It entered the French language in the 16th century, and has been used to refer to the process of bringing a group or society to a more advanced or cultured state.

In everyday French, civiliser is most commonly used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense. This tense is used to express actions that are hypothetical or uncertain in the past.

Examples:

  1. Il souhaitait que nous ayons civilisé ces tribus avant leur arrivée. (He wished that we had civilized these tribes before their arrival.)
  2. Je craignais que tu n’aies civilisé ces enfants avant que leurs parents ne reviennent. (I was afraid that you had civilized these children before their parents came back.)
  3. Elle était heureuse que j’eusse civilisé ces personnes avant qu’elles ne commettent des actes violents. (She was happy that I had civilized these people before they committed violent acts.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Civiliser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb civiliser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Civiliser – 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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