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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb exposer

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The English translation of the French verb exposer is “to expose.” The infinitive form, exposer, is pronounced as “ehk-spoh-zay.”

The verb exposer comes from the Latin word “exponere” meaning “to set forth.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a completed action that took place before another past action.

Examples:

  1. Il avait exposé son projet avant que je ne le rencontre. (He had exposed his project before I met him.)

  2. Nous avions exposé nos raisons avant que vous ne preniez votre décision. (We had exposed our reasons before you made your decision.)

  3. Ils avaient exposé les dangers de la situation avant qu’il ne soit trop tard. (They had exposed the dangers of the situation before it was too late.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Exposer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb exposer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb exposer
    (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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Exposer – 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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