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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb flâner

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The English translation of the French verb flâner is “to stroll” or “to wander”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “flah-neh”.

The language origin of flâner comes from the Old French word “flaignier”, meaning “to idle” or “to loiter”. It evolved into the modern form of “flâner” in the late 19th century, when it became associated with the concept of leisurely strolling and observing one’s surroundings.

In everyday French, the verb flâner is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a hypothetical past action. This tense is formed by using the helping verb “avoir” or “être” in the plus-que-parfait tense and adding the past participle of the main verb.

For example:

  1. J’aurais flâné dans les rues si j’avais eu plus de temps. (I would have strolled around the streets if I had more time.)

  2. Il aurait fallu qu’elle flânât dans les magasins avant de faire ses achats. (She should have wandered around the shops before making her purchases.)

  3. Nous serions restés à la maison si nous avions su que la ville était en travaux. (We would have stayed at home if we had known that the city was under construction.)

In these examples, the verb flâner is used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a past action that did not actually happen, but was a possibility or desire at the time. The English translations use the conditional tense to convey the same meaning.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse flâné Si seulement j’avais eusse flâné plus tôt. If only I had strolled earlier.
tu eusses flâné Si seulement tu avais eusses flâné plus longtemps. If only you had strolled longer.
il eût flâné Si seulement il avait eût flâné avec moi. If only he had strolled with me.
elle eût flâné Si seulement elle avait eût flâné dans ce quartier. If only she had strolled in this neighborhood.
on eût flâné Si seulement on avait eût flâné dans les rues de Paris. If only one had strolled through the streets of Paris.
nous eussions flâné Si seulement nous avions eussions flâné ensemble. If only we had strolled together.
vous eussiez flâné Si seulement vous aviez eussiez flâné avec nous. If only you had strolled with us.
ils eussent flâné Si seulement ils avaient eussent flâné plus souvent. If only they had strolled more often.
elles eussent flâné Si seulement elles avaient eussent flâné dans ce parc. If only they had strolled in this park.

Other Conjugations for Flâner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb flâner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Flâner – 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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