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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb constiper

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The English translation of constiper is “to constipate.” It is pronounced as “kon-stee-peh” in the infinitive form.

The verb constiper comes from the Latin word “constipare,” which means “to press tightly together.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and has been used ever since to describe the medical condition of constipation.

In everyday French, constiper is often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a hypothetical past action or situation. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect subjunctive form, followed by the past participle of the verb.

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

  1. J’avais craint qu’il ne se soit constipé. (I had feared that he had become constipated.)
  2. Nous avions prié pour qu’elle se soit constipée moins souvent. (We had prayed that she had become constipated less often.)
  3. Tu avais conseillé qu’il se fût constipé avant de manger. (You had advised that he had become constipated before eating.)

In these examples, the verb constiper is used in the past tense to express a hypothetical situation or action. The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is often used in formal or literary contexts in French.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Constiper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb constiper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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

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