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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb disputer

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The English translation of the French verb disputer is “to dispute” or “to argue.” It is pronounced as “dee-speu-tay” in its infinitive form.

The word “disputer” comes from the Latin word “disputare,” meaning “to discuss” or “to examine.” In everyday French, it is most often used to describe a heated or intense argument or disagreement between two or more people.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, disputer is used to express a past action that is hypothetical or uncertain. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais peur que mes parents se soient disputés à cause de moi. (I was afraid that my parents had argued because of me.)

  2. Il était dommage que nous nous soyons disputés avant de partir en vacances. (It was a shame that we had argued before leaving for vacation.)

  3. J’avais toujours cru que nous nous étions disputés pour rien. (I had always believed that we had argued over nothing.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse disputé Si j’avais su, j’aurais aimé que je eusse disputé. If I had known, I wish I had argued.
tu eusses disputé Si j’avais su, j’aurais aimé que tu eusses disputé. If I had known, I wish you had argued.
il eût disputé Si j’avais su, j’aurais aimé qu’il eût disputé. If I had known, I wish he had argued.
elle eût disputé Si j’avais su, j’aurais aimé qu’elle eût disputé. If I had known, I wish she had argued.
on eût disputé Si j’avais su, j’aurais aimé qu’on eût disputé. If I had known, I wish one had argued.
nous eussions disputé Si j’avais su, j’aurais aimé que nous eussions disputé. If I had known, I wish we had argued.
vous eussiez disputé Si j’avais su, j’aurais aimé que vous eussiez disputé. If I had known, I wish you had argued.
ils eussent disputé Si j’avais su, j’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent disputé. If I had known, I wish they had argued.
elles eussent disputé Si j’avais su, j’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent disputé. If I had known, I wish they had argued.

Other Conjugations for Disputer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb disputer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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