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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb différentier

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The English translation of the French verb différentier is “to differentiate.” It is pronounced “dee-fuh-rayn-tee-ey.”

The origin of différentier can be traced back to the Latin word “differentiare,” meaning “to distinguish.” It is most often used in everyday French to express the action of distinguishing or differentiating between two or more things.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, différentier is used to express a hypothetical past action that was completed before another past action. It is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the Subjonctif Imparfait (avais, avais, avait, avions, aviez, avaient) and adding the past participle of différentier (différentié).

Here are three simple examples of différentier in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais différencié les deux espèces avant que tu ne m’en parles.
    (I had differentiated the two species before you told me about them.)
  2. Elle avait différencié les trois saveurs avant de choisir sa préférée.
    (She had differentiated the three flavors before choosing her favorite one.)
  3. Nous avions différencié les différentes teintes de bleu avant que le professeur ne nous en demande la raison.
    (We had differentiated the different shades of blue before the teacher asked us about the reason behind it.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse différentié Si j’avais eu cette information, je eusse différentié ma réponse. If I had had this information, I would have differentiated my response.
tu eusses différentié Si tu avais eu cette information, tu eusses différentié ta réponse. If you had had this information, you would have differentiated your response.
il eût différentié Si il avait eu cette information, il eût différentié sa réponse. If he had had this information, he would have differentiated his response.
elle eût différentié Si elle avait eu cette information, elle eût différentié sa réponse. If she had had this information, she would have differentiated her response.
on eût différentié Si on avait eu cette information, on eût différentié sa réponse. If one had had this information, one would have differentiated their response.
nous eussions différentié Si nous avions eu cette information, nous eussions différentié notre réponse. If we had had this information, we would have differentiated our response.
vous eussiez différentié Si vous aviez eu cette information, vous eussiez différentié votre réponse. If you had had this information, you would have differentiated your response.
ils eussent différentié Si ils avaient eu cette information, ils eussent différentié leur réponse. If they had had this information, they would have differentiated their response.
elles eussent différentié Si elles avaient eu cette information, elles eussent différentié leur réponse. If they had had this information, they would have differentiated their response.

Other Conjugations for Différentier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb différentier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Différentier – 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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