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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gambergeailler

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The English translation of the French verb gambergeailler is “to overthink” or “to mull over.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “gahm-behr-zhah-yay.”

The word gambergeailler comes from the French word “gambe,” meaning “leg,” and the colloquial term “bergeailler,” which means “to walk.” Together, they create the image of someone walking back and forth, indicating that they are deep in thought and overthinking a situation.

In everyday French, gambergeailler is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express actions or thoughts that would have been completed before a certain point in the past. It is commonly used when narrating a story or expressing regrets about past actions.

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

  1. J’avais gambergeaillé sur mon choix de carrière avant de partir à l’université. (I had mulled over my career choice before going to university.)
  2. Elle avait gambergeaillé toute la nuit avant de prendre sa décision. (She had overthought all night before making her decision.)
  3. Nous avions gambergeaillé sur la possibilité de partir en vacances ensemble, mais finalement nous avons décidé de voyager séparément. (We had mused over the possibility of going on vacation together, but in the end we decided to travel separately.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Gambergeailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gambergeailler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Gambergeailler – 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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