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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb féconder

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The English translation of the French verb féconder is “to fertilize.” The infinitive form of féconder is pronounced “fay-kon-deh.”

The word féconder comes from the Latin word “fecundare,” which means “to make fruitful.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a past tense used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

Three examples of féconder in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations are:

  1. J’avais craint qu’il n’eût fécondé toutes les fleurs. (I had feared that he had fertilized all the flowers.)
  2. Il avait fallu que tu eusses fécondé les plantes avant l’arrivée de l’été. (You had to have fertilized the plants before the arrival of summer.)
  3. Nous avions souhaité que vous eussiez fécondé les champs avant la pluie. (We had hoped that you had fertilized the fields before the rain.)

In these examples, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express a past hypothetical action or wish, where féconder is the action being considered.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Féconder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb féconder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Féconder – 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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