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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cogiter

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The English translation of the French verb cogiter is “to think deeply” or “to ponder.” The infinitive form, cogiter, is pronounced “co-zhee-tay.”

The word cogiter comes from the Latin word “cogitare,” meaning “to think” or “to consider.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and has been used regularly ever since.

In everyday French, cogiter is often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a compound tense that expresses a past hypothetical action. It is formed by combining the auxiliary verb “avoir” with the past participle of the verb and using the subjunctive mood.

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

  1. J’avais cogité toute la nuit avant de prendre ma décision. (I had thought deeply all night before making my decision.)

  2. Si tu avais cogité un peu plus, tu aurais réalisé que c’était une mauvaise idée. (If you had thought a little more, you would have realized it was a bad idea.)

  3. Ils étaient désolés d’avoir cogité si longtemps avant de prendre une décision. (They were sorry they had thought for so long before making a decision.)

In these sentences, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express a past hypothetical action or situation. It indicates that the thinking or pondering had already been completed before another action or event occurred.

Overall, cogiter is a versatile verb that is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts in French. It can be used in different tenses and moods to express a range of meanings, from deep contemplation to simple reflection.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Cogiter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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