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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coincer

Get the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) tense conjugation of coincer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb coincer is “to get stuck” or “to pin down.” It is pronounced as /kwan-sey/.

The language origin of coincer can be traced back to the Latin word “concidere,” meaning “to cut or to split.” In everyday French, coincer is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a past action that is hypothetical or uncertain.

Example 1:
J’étais désolé que ma voiture se soit coincée dans la boue.
I was sorry that my car had gotten stuck in the mud.

Example 2:
Nous avions peur que le chat se soit coincé dans le grenier.
We were afraid that the cat had gotten trapped in the attic.

Example 3:
Il était possible que le train se soit coincé dans le tunnel à cause de la neige.
It was possible that the train had gotten stuck in the tunnel due to the snow.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse coincé Si j’avais eu une scie, j’aurais aimé que je eusse coincé le bois. If I had a saw, I wish I had wedged the wood.
tu eusses coincé J’aurais aimé que tu eusses coincé la porte pour qu’elle ne se ferme pas. I wish you had jammed the door so it wouldn’t close.
il eût coincé J’aurais aimé qu’il eût coincé le bouchon pour ne pas perdre de vin. I wish he had wedged the cork to not lose any wine.
elle eût coincé J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût coincé le papier dans le dossier. I wish she had stuck the paper in the folder.
on eût coincé J’aurais aimé qu’on eût coincé l’affiche contre le mur. I wish one had stuck the poster against the wall.
nous eussions coincé J’aurais aimé que nous eussions coincé les pièces ensemble. I wish we had wedged the pieces together.
vous eussiez coincé J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez coincé la clé dans la serrure. I wish you had jammed the key in the lock.
ils eussent coincé J’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent coincé le vase sur l’étagère. I wish they had stuck the vase on the shelf.
elles eussent coincé J’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent coincé le ballon dans le filet. I wish they had jammed the ball in the net.

Other Conjugations for Coincer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coincer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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