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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clairsemer

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The English translation of clairsemer is “to thin out” or “to sow sparsely.” The infinitive form is pronounced “klair-se-may.”

The word clairsemer is derived from the combination of two French words: “clair” meaning “clear” and “semer” meaning “to sow.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a past subjunctive tense used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of clairsemer in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu aies clairsemé les graines plus tôt pour qu’elles puissent germer à temps.
    English translation: I wish you had thinned out the seeds earlier so they could have sprouted in time.

  2. Il fallait que nous ayons clairsemé les arbres afin de laisser passer la lumière.
    English translation: We needed to thin out the trees in order to let the light through.

  3. Il aurait été préférable que vous ayez clairsemé les cheveux pour donner un effet plus naturel.
    English translation: It would have been better if you had sown the hair sparsely to achieve a more natural effect.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Clairsemer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clairsemer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Clairsemer – 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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