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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gourmander

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The English translation of the French verb gourmander is “to scold” or “to reprimand”. It is pronounced “goo-rmahn-deh”.

The origin of the word gourmander can be traced back to the Old French word “gorge”, meaning throat, and the Latin word “mandare”, meaning to chew or eat. This reflects the original meaning of the verb, which was “to swallow greedily” or “to overindulge in eating”. Over time, the meaning evolved to refer to giving someone a harsh verbal reprimand.

In everyday French, the verb gourmander is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a past action that was completed before another past action. This tense is formed with the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Subjonctif Imparfait followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Three examples of gourmander used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. Il avait gourmandé son fils avant que celui-ci ne parte en vacances. (He had scolded his son before he left for vacation.)

  2. Les parents avaient gourmandé leurs enfants pour leur mauvais comportement. (The parents had reprimanded their children for their bad behavior.)

  3. J’avais gourmandé mon collègue avant qu’il ne fasse une erreur importante. (I had scolded my colleague before he made a big mistake.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Gourmander.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gourmander
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Gourmander – 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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