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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gouverner

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The English translation of the French verb gouverner is “to govern.” The infinitive form, gouverner, is pronounced as “goo-vern-ay.”

The word gouverner has its origins in the Latin word gubernare, meaning “to steer” or “to rule.” It entered the French language in the 12th century, and originally referred to the act of steering a ship. Over time, it came to mean the act of ruling or governing a country or people.

In everyday French, the verb gouverner is commonly used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place in the past. It is often used to convey regret or a sense of missed opportunity.

Here are three examples of the verb gouverner in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais suivi vos conseils, j’aurais gouverné le pays avec sagesse. (If I had followed your advice, I would have governed the country wisely.)

  2. Nous aurions pu gouverner ensemble, mais tu as choisi de partir. (We could have governed together, but you chose to leave.)

  3. Ils auraient pu réussir, s’ils avaient gouverné avec plus d’audace. (They could have succeeded if they had governed with more boldness.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Gouverner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gouverner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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