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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb estomper

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The English translation of the French verb estomper is “to blur” or “to fade.” The infinitive form, estomper, is pronounced “es-tom-pay.”

The word estomper comes from the Old French verb estomper, meaning “to blot out” or “to obliterate.” It ultimately derives from the Latin ex- (out) + stuppare (to make numb).

In everyday French, the verb estomper is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express an action that took place before another action in the past. It is commonly used in formal or written language, and often in conjunction with the conjunction “si” (if).

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

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu aies estompé cette tache avant que mes parents n’arrivent. (I would have liked for you to have blurred out that stain before my parents arrived.)

  2. Si j’avais su, j’aurais estompé cette erreur avant qu’elle ne soit trop tard. (If I had known, I would have faded out this mistake before it was too late.)

  3. Il aurait fallu que je vous dise de ne pas estomper ces passages importants du rapport. (I should have told you not to blur out these important passages of the report.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Estomper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb estomper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb estomper
    (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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Estomper – 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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