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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clouter

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The English translation of the French verb clouter is “to nail” or “to spike.” The infinitive form, clouter, is pronounced “kloo-tay.”

The word clouter comes from the Old French “clou” meaning “nail.” It is most often used transitively, meaning it requires a direct object, and in the context of construction or carpentry to describe the action of nailing or fastening something with a nail or spike. In everyday French, it can also be used figuratively to mean “to secure” or “to fix.”

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, clouter is conjugated as follows:

J’avais clouté
Tu avais clouté
Il/elle avait clouté
Nous avions clouté
Vous aviez clouté
Ils/elles avaient clouté

Three simple examples of clouter in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense with English translations are:

  1. J’avais clouté les planches avant de les peindre. (I had nailed the planks before painting them.)
  2. Tu avais clouté les affiches sur le mur. (You had spiked the posters on the wall.)
  3. Elle avait clouté les panneaux pour les maintenir en place. (She had nailed the panels to keep them in place.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Clouter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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