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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fleurer

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The English translation of the French verb fleurer is “to smell” or “to give off a scent.” It is pronounced “fluh-ray.”

Fleurer comes from the Old French word “flour,” meaning “flower.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical past action or condition.

Three simple examples of fleurer in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu eusses fleuré les roses avant qu’elles ne se fanent. (I wish you had smelled the roses before they wilted.)
  2. Il aurait fallu que nous eussions fleuré cette épice avant de l’ajouter à la cuisine. (We should have smelled this spice before adding it to the cooking.)
  3. Si j’avais su, j’aurais préféré que tu eusses fleuré le parfum avant de l’acheter. (If I had known, I would have preferred you to smell the perfume before buying it.)

In each of these examples, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express a hypothetical past action that did not actually happen. It is often used in conjunction with the conditional tense to express a desired or imagined outcome.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse fleuri J’avais peur que je eusse fleuri trop tôt. I was afraid I had bloomed too soon.
tu eusses fleuri J’avais peur que tu eusses fleuri trop tôt. I was afraid you had bloomed too soon.
il eût fleuri J’avais peur qu’il eût fleuri trop tôt. I was afraid he had bloomed too soon.
elle eût fleuri J’avais peur qu’elle eût fleuri trop tôt. I was afraid she had bloomed too soon.
on eût fleuri J’avais peur qu’on eût fleuri trop tôt. I was afraid one had bloomed too soon.
nous eussions fleuri J’avais peur que nous eussions fleuri trop tôt. I was afraid we had bloomed too soon.
vous eussiez fleuri J’avais peur que vous eussiez fleuri trop tôt. I was afraid you had bloomed too soon.
ils eussent fleuri J’avais peur qu’ils eussent fleuri trop tôt. I was afraid they had bloomed too soon.
elles eussent fleuri J’avais peur qu’elles eussent fleuri trop tôt. I was afraid they had bloomed too soon.

Other Conjugations for Fleurer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fleurer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Fleurer – 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 fleurer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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