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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb comater

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The English translation of the French verb comater is “to doze off” or “to be in a daze.” The infinitive form, comater, is pronounced “ko-mah-ter.”

Comater comes from the Latin word “comatus,” meaning “with long hair,” and in its original usage, it referred to someone who had long, tangled hair as a result of being in a daze or stupor. Over time, the meaning of the verb evolved to refer to being in a dreamy or sluggish state, and it was eventually adopted into the French language.

In everyday French, comater is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense used to express an action that should have been completed in the past. It is often used to convey a sense of regret or disappointment.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il était désolé que je comatasse pendant la réunion. (He was sorry that I had dozed off during the meeting.)

  2. Elle souhaitait que son fils n’ait pas comaté devant la télévision toute la journée. (She wished that her son had not dozed off in front of the television all day.)

  3. Nous aurions préféré que les invités n’aient pas comaté après le dîner. (We would have preferred that the guests had not dozed off after dinner.)

In each of these examples, the verb comater is conjugated in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express an action that should have been completed in the past. The English translations reflect the sense of regret or disappointment conveyed by this tense.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Comater.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb comater
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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