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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gaffer

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The English translation of the French verb gaffer is “to mess up” or “to bungle.” It is pronounced as “gah-fay” in its infinitive form.

The origin of the word gaffer comes from the Old French word “gaffet,” meaning a hook or a clasp. It later evolved to mean “to trip up” or “to stumble” in the 16th century. By the 19th century, it took on its current meaning of “to make a mistake” or “to bungle.”

In everyday French, gaffer is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense. This tense is used to express a hypothetical or unreal action that took place before another past action.

Here are three examples of gaffer in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais peur que tu aies gaffé lors de ta présentation. (I was afraid that you had messed up during your presentation.)

  2. Il était possible qu’elle eût gaffé dans sa lettre de motivation. (It was possible that she had bungled in her cover letter.)

  3. Nous pensions que vous eussiez gaffé à l’examen. (We thought that you had messed up in the exam.)

These three examples show how gaffer is used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait to express doubt, fear, or uncertainty about a past action. The English translations also reflect the subjunctive mood, with the use of “had” and “had” before the past participle of gaffer.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Gaffer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gaffer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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