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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb exister

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The English translation of the French verb exister is “to exist.” It is pronounced as “ehg-zee-stay.”

The verb exister comes from the Latin word “existere,” meaning “to come into being.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a compound tense formed with the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the subjonctif imparfait and the past participle of the main verb.

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

  1. Il avait fallu que je existasse avant de comprendre. (I had to exist before I could understand.)
  2. Si tu n’avais pas existé, je serais seul aujourd’hui. (If you had not existed, I would be alone today.)
  3. Elle aurait aimé que nous ayons existé ensemble. (She would have liked for us to have existed together.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Exister.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb exister
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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