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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fretter

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The English translation of the French verb fretter is “to worry”. It is pronounced “fret-ay” in its infinitive form.

Fretter comes from the Old French word “freter”, which means “to devour, to consume”. It then evolved to mean “to be tormented by hunger or desire” and eventually took on the meaning of “to worry or be anxious” in Modern French.

In everyday French, fretter is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express worries or anxieties about past events or actions. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Plus-que-parfait tense followed by the past participle of the main verb.

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

  1. J’avais tant fretter qu’il n’ait pas réussi ses examens. (I had worried so much that he had not passed his exams.)
  2. Elle s’était toujours fretter que vous n’ayez pas aimé son cadeau. (She had always worried that you had not liked her gift.)
  3. Nous avions bien fretter que vous ne soyez pas arrivés à temps. (We had fretted a lot that you had not arrived on time.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse fretter Je regrettais que je eusse fretter. I regretted that I had fretted.
tu eusses fretter Je regrettais que tu eusses fretter. I regretted that you had fretted.
il eût fretter Je regrettais qu’il eût fretter. I regretted that he had fretted.
elle eût fretter Je regrettais qu’elle eût fretter. I regretted that she had fretted.
on eût fretter Je regrettais qu’on eût fretter. I regretted that one had fretted.
nous eussions fretter Je regrettais que nous eussions fretter. I regretted that we had fretted.
vous eussiez fretter Je regrettais que vous eussiez fretter. I regretted that you had fretted.
ils eussent fretter Je regrettais qu’ils eussent fretter. I regretted that they had fretted.
elles eussent fretter Je regrettais qu’elles eussent fretter. I regretted that they had fretted.

Other Conjugations for Fretter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fretter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Fretter – 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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