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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb conspirer

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The English translation of the French verb conspirer is “to conspire.” It is pronounced “kohns-pee-ray.”

The word has its roots in the Latin “conspirare,” meaning “to breathe together” or “to agree.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a past event that is projected into a hypothetical or imaginary situation. This tense is often used when talking about something that could have happened but did not, or to express regret or reproach.

Three simple examples of the usage of conspirer in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. Si tu avais conspiré avec moi, nous aurions pu renverser le gouvernement. (If you had conspired with me, we could have overthrown the government.)
  2. Il a déclaré qu’il n’avait pas conspiré contre son collègue, mais je n’en suis pas convaincu. (He claimed he had not conspired against his colleague, but I am not convinced.)
  3. J’aurais aimé que vous m’en parliez avant de conspirer dans mon dos. (I wish you had told me before conspiring behind my back.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse conspiré Si j’étais plus malin, je eusse conspiré. If I were smarter, I would have conspired.
tu eusses conspiré Si tu avais écouté, tu eusses conspiré. If you had listened, you would have conspired.
il eût conspiré Si il avait su, il eût conspiré. If he had known, he would have conspired.
elle eût conspiré Si elle avait su, elle eût conspiré. If she had known, she would have conspired.
on eût conspiré Si on avait su, on eût conspiré. If one had known, one would have conspired.
nous eussions conspiré Si nous avions su, nous eussions conspiré. If we had known, we would have conspired.
vous eussiez conspiré Si vous aviez su, vous eussiez conspiré. If you had known, you would have conspired.
ils eussent conspiré Si ils avaient su, ils eussent conspiré. If they had known, they would have conspired.
elles eussent conspiré Si elles avaient su, elles eussent conspiré. If they had known, they would have conspired.

Other Conjugations for Conspirer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb conspirer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Conspirer – 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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