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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb grelotter

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The English translation of the French verb grelotter is “to shiver” or “to tremble.” The infinitive form, grelotter, is pronounced “greh-lot-ay.”

The verb grelotter comes from the noun grelot which means “little bell.” The origin of the verb comes from the sound of a bell, which can be compared to the shaking or trembling of one’s body when cold. In everyday French, grelotter is most often used to describe the physical action of shivering or trembling due to cold or fear.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, grelotter is used to express a past action that is hypothetical or uncertain. It is typically used in conjunction with the past conditional tense to express a “would have” or “could have” action.

Here are three simple examples of grelotter in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais tellement froid que j’eusse grelotté toute la nuit si je n’avais pas trouvé une couverture chaude.
    (I was so cold that I would have shivered all night if I hadn’t found a warm blanket.)

  2. Ils eussent grelotté de peur s’ils avaient vu le fantôme dans la maison hantée.
    (They would have trembled in fear if they had seen the ghost in the haunted house.)

  3. Si tu avais été dehors hier soir, tu aurais grelotté sous la pluie.
    (If you had been outside last night, you would have shivered in the rain.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Grelotter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb grelotter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Grelotter – 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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