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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb couronner

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The English translation of the French verb couronner is “to crown.” The infinitive form of couronner is pronounced “koo-roh-nay.”

Couronner comes from the Old French word corone, meaning “crown,” and ultimately from the Latin word corona. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a past hypothetical action or situation. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb avoir or être in the Plus-que-parfait tense, followed by the past participle of couronner.

Three simple examples of couronner in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais couronné le roi avant qu’il ne parte en exil.
    (I had crowned the king before he went into exile.)

  2. Elle avait couronné ses études de journalisme bien avant d’obtenir son premier emploi.
    (She had completed her journalism studies long before getting her first job.)

  3. Nous avions couronné notre journée par une balade en bateau sur la Seine.
    (We had capped off our day with a boat ride on the Seine.)

In all of these sentences, couronner is used in the past tense to describe an action that was completed before another past action or event. The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense adds a sense of doubt or uncertainty about the action, making it more hypothetical. In English, this tense is often translated as “had + past participle” or “would have + past participle.”

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

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

Other Conjugations for Couronner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couronner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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