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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb expier

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The English translation of the French verb expier is “to atone” or “to make amends.” The infinitive form of expier is pronounced as “ehk-see-ay.”

Expier comes from the Latin word “expiare,” meaning to atone or make amends. It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to express actions that occurred before another action in the past.

Example 1: Il était important que je l’expie avant de demander pardon.
English translation: It was important that I atoned for it before asking for forgiveness.

Example 2: Elle aurait aimé que tu expiasses tes fautes avant de partir.
English translation: She would have liked you to make amends for your mistakes before leaving.

Example 3: Nous avions peur qu’ils n’expient jamais leurs crimes.
English translation: We were afraid that they would never atone for their crimes.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Expier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb expier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Expier – 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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