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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contre-braquer

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The English translation of the French verb contre-braquer is “countersteer.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “kawn-truh-brah-kay.”

The language origin of contre-braquer can be broken down into two parts: “contre,” which means “against” or “opposite,” and “braquer,” which means “to steer” or “to turn.” Therefore, contre-braquer can be literally translated as “steer against” or “steer in the opposite direction.”

In everyday French, contre-braquer is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express an action that would have happened in the past if certain conditions had been met. It is often used in hypothetical or unreal situations, similar to the English subjunctive mood.

Example 1: Si j’avais su que tu venais, j’aurais contre-braqué pour te rencontrer. (If I had known you were coming, I would have countersteered to meet you.)
Example 2: Elle aurait contre-braqué si elle avait vu le piéton traverser la rue. (She would have countersteered if she had seen the pedestrian crossing the street.)
Example 3: Si j’avais eu plus de temps, je me serais entraîné à contre-braquer dans les virages. (If I had had more time, I would have practiced countersteering in turns.)

In all three examples, the action of contre-braquer is conditional on a specific situation or circumstance in the past. The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is commonly used in French to express this kind of hypothetical or unreal action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse contre-braqué Je regrette que je eusse contre-braqué. I wish I had counter steered.
tu eusses contre-braqué Je regrette que tu eusses contre-braqué. I wish you had counter steered.
il eût contre-braqué Je regrette qu’il eût contre-braqué. I wish he had counter steered.
elle eût contre-braqué Je regrette qu’elle eût contre-braqué. I wish she had counter steered.
on eût contre-braqué Je regrette qu’on eût contre-braqué. I wish one had counter steered.
nous eussions contre-braqué Je regrette que nous eussions contre-braqué. I wish we had counter steered.
vous eussiez contre-braqué Je regrette que vous eussiez contre-braqué. I wish you had counter steered.
ils eussent contre-braqué Je regrette qu’ils eussent contre-braqué. I wish they had counter steered.
elles eussent contre-braqué Je regrette qu’elles eussent contre-braqué. I wish they had counter steered.

Other Conjugations for Contre-Braquer.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb contre-braquer
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-braquer
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-braquer
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-braquer
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-braquer
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-braquer
   

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

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-braquer

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-braquer

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-braquer

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-braquer
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-braquer

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

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-braquer
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-braquer

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-braquer

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

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Contre-Braquer – 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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