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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cureter

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The English translation of the French verb cureter is “to clean out” or “to scrape.” The infinitive form, cureter, is pronounced “koo-ruh-tey.”

The verb cureter is derived from the Latin word “curare,” meaning “to cure,” and was later adapted into Old French as “curer” before becoming “cureter” in Modern French.

In everyday French, cureter is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or unrealized action that should have taken place in the past. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the Imperfect Subjunctive followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Here are three simple examples of cureter in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’aurais dû cureter mon placard avant que les invités n’arrivent. (I should have cleaned out my closet before the guests arrived.)
  2. Il aurait fallu que je curete la salle de bain avant de partir en vacances. (I should have scraped the bathroom before leaving for vacation.)
  3. Auriez-vous préféré que je curetasse la voiture avant notre voyage ? (Would you have preferred me to clean out the car before our trip?)

In each of these examples, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express a past action that did not actually happen. It is often used in regrets or to express what should have been done in the past.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Cureter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cureter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Cureter – 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 cureter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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