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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb colmater

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The English translation of the French verb colmater is “to plug” or “to seal.” The infinitive form is pronounced “kohl-mah-tay.”

The language origin of colmater can be traced back to the Latin word “colmatare” which means “to fill up.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a compound tense used to express a past action that is completed before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of colmater being used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais colmaté la fuite avant qu’elle ne s’aggrave. (I had plugged the leak before it got worse.)
  2. Il avait colmaté les trous dans le mur avant que la pluie ne vienne. (He had sealed the holes in the wall before the rain came.)
  3. Nous avions colmaté les brèches dans la défense avant que l’ennemi ne puisse les exploiter. (We had plugged the gaps in the defense before the enemy could exploit them.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Colmater.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb colmater
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Colmater – 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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