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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb grisailler

Get the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) tense conjugation of grisailler. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb grisailler is “to become grey” or “to turn grey.” It is pronounced as “gree-zai-ye.”

Grisailler comes from the French word “gris,” meaning grey, and the suffix “-ailler,” which is often used to create verbs related to colors. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to express an action that is supposed to have taken place before another action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of grisailler in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais peur qu’il ait grisaillé avant notre mariage. (I was afraid he had turned grey before our wedding.)
  2. Elle craignait que ses cheveux n’aient grisaillé à cause du stress. (She feared her hair had turned grey because of stress.)
  3. Nous étions tristes qu’il eût grisaillé si jeune. (We were sad that he had turned grey so young.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Grisailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb grisailler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the grisailler Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

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

ByMichael Burns

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) tense conjugation of décapuchonner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required).