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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désespérer

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The English translation of the French verb désespérer is “to despair.” It is pronounced as “day-zes-puh-ray.”

The word désespérer comes from the Latin word “desperare,” meaning “to give up,” and can be traced back to the Greek word “desperatos,” meaning “desperate.” In everyday French, désespérer is often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a past event or situation that was hopeless or desperate.

  1. J’étais désespéré qu’elle ne me rappelle pas. (I was desperate that she didn’t call me back.)
  2. Nous avions désespéré qu’ils ne nous donnent pas une chance. (We had given up hope that they would give us a chance.)
  3. Il était désespéré qu’elle ne lui ait pas pardonné. (He was desperate that she hadn’t forgiven him.)

In these examples, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to convey a sense of regret or disappointment about a past event that was hopeless or desperate. It is often used to express a feeling of helplessness or a lack of control over a situation.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Désespérer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désespérer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Désespérer – 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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