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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gratter

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The English translation of the French verb gratter is “to scratch.” The infinitive form of gratter is pronounced “grah-tay.”

The language origin of gratter can be traced back to the Latin word “grattare,” meaning “to scrape or scratch.” It is most often used in everyday French to refer to physically scratching or scraping an object or surface.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, gratter is used to express a hypothetical or unreal action that took place before another action in the past. It is often used in conjunction with the past tense form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” (to have).

Example 1:
J’aurais aimé que tu aies gratté le gâteau avant de le servir.
I would have liked for you to have scratched the cake before serving it.

Example 2:
Il était possible que vous ayez gratté la peinture avant de la repeindre.
It was possible that you had scratched the paint before repainting it.

Example 3:
Elle avait peur qu’il eût gratté le ticket de loto sans lui.
She was afraid that he had scratched the lottery ticket without her.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Gratter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gratter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gratter
    (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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Gratter – 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 gratter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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