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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cliqueter

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The English translation of the French verb cliqueter is “to click” or “to clatter.” It is pronounced “klee-keh-teh.”

The language origin of cliqueter is derived from the Old French word “cliquetier,” which comes from the Latin word “clamare” meaning “to call out” or “to shout.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a past tense subjunctive form that expresses an action that was completed before another past action. It is commonly used to express a hypothetical or uncertain situation in the past.

Three simple examples of the usage of cliqueter in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. Nous avions peur qu’il cliquetât des dents toute la nuit. (We were afraid that he had been clicking his teeth all night.)
  2. Il est possible que le clavier ait cliqueté avant de cesser de fonctionner. (It is possible that the keyboard had been clicking before it stopped working.)
  3. Je regrette que le verre ait cliqueté sur la table et se soit brisé. (I regret that the glass had been clicking on the table and broke.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse cliqueté Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais aimé que je eusse cliqueté. If I had more time, I would have liked to have clicked.
tu eusses cliqueté Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais aimé que tu eusses cliqueté. If I had more time, I would have liked you to have clicked.
il eût cliqueté Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais aimé qu’il eût cliqueté. If I had more time, I would have liked him to have clicked.
elle eût cliqueté Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais aimé qu’elle eût cliqueté. If I had more time, I would have liked her to have clicked.
on eût cliqueté Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais aimé qu’on eût cliqueté. If I had more time, I would have liked one to have clicked.
nous eussions cliqueté Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais aimé que nous eussions cliqueté. If I had more time, I would have liked us to have clicked.
vous eussiez cliqueté Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais aimé que vous eussiez cliqueté. If I had more time, I would have liked you to have clicked.
ils eussent cliqueté Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent cliqueté. If I had more time, I would have liked them to have clicked.
elles eussent cliqueté Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent cliqueté. If I had more time, I would have liked them to have clicked.

Other Conjugations for Cliqueter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cliqueter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Cliqueter – 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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