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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contracter

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The English translation of the French verb contracter is “to contract”. It is pronounced as “kon-trak-ter” in its infinitive form.

The verb contracter originated from the Latin word “contractus” which means “to draw together”. It first appeared in the French language in the 12th century and was initially used in legal contexts to refer to the act of drawing up a contract or agreement. Over time, it has evolved to have a broader meaning and is now commonly used to refer to the act of forming or acquiring something, such as a disease or a habit.

In every day French, the verb contracter is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to convey a past hypothetical action or event that was completed before another past action or event. It is usually translated into English as “had contracted” or “had acquired”. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais peur de contracter le coronavirus avant de prendre toutes les précautions nécessaires. (I was afraid of contracting the coronavirus before taking all the necessary precautions.)

  2. Elle avait contracté de mauvaises habitudes pendant ses années d’études. (She had acquired bad habits during her years of study.)

  3. Ils avaient contracté un prêt pour financer leurs vacances de rêve. (They had taken out a loan to finance their dream vacation.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Contracter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contracter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Contracter – 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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