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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coposséder

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The English translation of the French verb coposséder is “to co-own” or “to jointly possess.” It is pronounced as “ko-po-se-de.”

The word coposséder is a combination of the prefix “co-” which means “together” and the verb posséder which means “to possess.” It is derived from the Latin verb “possidere” which has the same meaning. This verb was first introduced into the French language in the 14th century.

In everyday French, coposséder is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a compound past tense used to talk about actions that were completed in the past before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the Subjonctif imparfait tense followed by the past participle of the verb. For example:

  1. Nous avions copossédé cette maison avant qu’elle ne soit vendue. (We had co-owned this house before it was sold.)
  2. J’avais copossédé cette entreprise avant qu’elle ne fasse faillite. (I had co-owned this company before it went bankrupt.)
  3. Ils avaient copossédé ce terrain avant qu’il ne soit développé. (They had co-owned this land before it was developed.)

In these examples, the verb coposséder is used to talk about joint ownership or possession of something in the past, before another event took place. The use of the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense adds a sense of doubt or uncertainty to the action, as it is often used in hypothetical or conditional sentences.

In summary, coposséder is a compound verb that means “to co-own” and is derived from the Latin word “possidere.” It is most commonly used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to talk about past joint ownership or possession, and its use in this tense adds a sense of uncertainty or doubt to the action.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Coposséder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coposséder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Coposséder – 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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