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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contenter

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The English translation of the French verb contenter is “to satisfy” or “to please.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “kawn-tawn-tay.”

The word contenter comes from the Latin word “contentus,” meaning satisfied or content. It entered the French language in the 13th century and has been used in various forms and tenses since then.

In everyday French, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express an action that did not happen in the past, but would have happened if certain conditions had been met. It is often used in hypothetical or unreal situations.

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

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, je t’aurais contenté avec un meilleur cadeau. (If I had had more time, I would have satisfied you with a better gift.)
  2. Elle aurait été contentée si elle avait reçu une promotion. (She would have been satisfied if she had received a promotion.)
  3. Nous aurions contenté nos clients si nous avions offert des réductions. (We would have satisfied our customers if we had offered discounts.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Contenter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contenter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contenter
    (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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Contenter – 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 contenter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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