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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb exceller

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The English translation of the French verb exceller is “to excel,” and it is pronounced as “ehk-seh-leh.”

The word “exceller” comes from the Latin word “excelsus,” meaning “high” or “elevated.” In everyday French, it is most often used to describe someone who is highly skilled or talented in a particular area, or to express that someone or something surpasses others in quality or performance.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, exceller is used to express a past action that was completed before another past action. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of exceller (i.e. excelle).

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense with their respective English translations:

  1. J’aurais excelle dans ce domaine si j’avais eu plus de temps. (I would have excelled in this field if I had had more time.)
  2. Nous serions excelle si nous avions suivi les conseils de notre coach. (We would have excelled if we had followed our coach’s advice.)
  3. Elle aurait excelle dans cette compétition si elle n’avait pas eu de blessure. (She would have excelled in this competition if she hadn’t been injured.)

In all of these examples, the verb exceller is used to describe a hypothetical past action that was not realized due to certain circumstances.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Exceller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb exceller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Exceller – 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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