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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb compliquer

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The English translation of the French verb compliquer is “to complicate.” It is pronounced “kohn-plee-kay.”

The word compliquer comes from the Latin verb “complicare,” meaning “to fold together” or “to intertwine.” In French, it is most often used in the present tense to describe something that is becoming more complex or difficult to understand or accomplish.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses actions that would have happened before another action in the past, compliquer is used to describe something that would have been complicated. It is often used in hypothetical or imaginary situations.

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

  1. Si j’avais suivi mes rêves, cela n’aurait pas compliqué les choses. (If I had followed my dreams, it wouldn’t have complicated things.)
  2. Il aurait préféré que tu ne le compliques pas avec tes questions. (He would have preferred that you didn’t complicate things with your questions.)
  3. Nous aurions aimé qu’elle ne nous compliquât pas la vie avec ses exigences. (We would have liked for her not to have complicated our lives with her demands.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Compliquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compliquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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