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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gambiller

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The English translation of the French verb gambiller is “to frolic” or “to prance.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “gahm-bee-yay.”

The word “gambiller” comes from the Old French word “gambiller” which means “to move one’s legs quickly.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the playful movement of animals or children, but can also be used in a figurative sense to describe someone who is overly excited or energetic.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, gambiller is used to express a hypothetical or unreal action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage:

  1. J’aurais aimé que les enfants aient gambillé au parc toute la journée. (I would have liked for the children to have frolicked at the park all day.)
  2. Il aurait fallu que le chat ait gambillé dans le jardin avant de rentrer. (It would have been necessary for the cat to have pranced in the garden before coming inside.)
  3. Nous aurions préféré que les chiots aient gambillé ensemble plutôt que de se battre. (We would have preferred for the puppies to have frolicked together instead of fighting.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Gambiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gambiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Gambiller – 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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