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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gesticuler

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The English translation of the French verb gesticuler is “to gesticulate.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “zhess-tee-kew-lay.”

The word “gesticuler” comes from the Latin word “gesticulare,” meaning “to gesture.” It is mostly used in everyday French to describe the action of making exaggerated and dramatic gestures while speaking. In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, gesticuler is used to express a past action or state that is hypothetical or uncertain. It is often used in conjunction with expressions such as “il est possible que” (it is possible that) or “j’aurais aimé que” (I would have liked that).

Example 1: Il est possible que tu aies gesticulé pendant la réunion. (It is possible that you gesticulated during the meeting.)
Example 2: J’aurais aimé que vous ayez gesticulé moins fort. (I would have liked it if you had gesticulated less loudly.)
Example 3: Il est possible qu’elle ait gesticulé de manière excessive. (It is possible that she gesticulated too much.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Gesticuler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gesticuler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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

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