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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb consulter

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The English translation of the French verb consulter is “to consult.” It is pronounced kɔ̃.syl.te. The infinitive form, consulter, is pronounced kɔ̃.syl.te.

The word consulter comes from the Latin verb consultare, meaning “to deliberate” or “to seek advice.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place before another action in the past.

  1. J’avais peur que tu n’aies pas consulté un médecin avant de prendre des médicaments. (I was afraid that you had not consulted a doctor before taking medication.)
  2. Il était probable qu’elle eût déjà consulté ses avocats avant de signer le contrat. (It was likely that she had already consulted her lawyers before signing the contract.)
  3. Nous aurions aimé que vous eussiez consulté votre entourage avant de prendre une décision aussi importante. (We would have liked for you to have consulted your surroundings before making such an important decision.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse consulté Il était surprenant que je eusse consulté un médecin. It was surprising that I had consulted a doctor.
tu eusses consulté Il était surprenant que tu eusses consulté un médecin. It was surprising that you had consulted a doctor.
il eût consulté Il était surprenant qu’il eût consulté un médecin. It was surprising that he had consulted a doctor.
elle eût consulté Il était surprenant qu’elle eût consulté un médecin. It was surprising that she had consulted a doctor.
on eût consulté Il était surprenant qu’on eût consulté un médecin. It was surprising that one had consulted a doctor.
nous eussions consulté Il était surprenant que nous eussions consulté un médecin. It was surprising that we had consulted a doctor.
vous eussiez consulté Il était surprenant que vous eussiez consulté un médecin. It was surprising that you had consulted a doctor.
ils eussent consulté Il était surprenant qu’ils eussent consulté un médecin. It was surprising that they had consulted a doctor.
elles eussent consulté Il était surprenant qu’elles eussent consulté un médecin. It was surprising that they had consulted a doctor.

Other Conjugations for Consulter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb consulter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Consulter – 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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