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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb hériter

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The English translation of the French verb hériter is “to inherit.” It is pronounced as “ay-reh-teh.”

The word hériter comes from the Latin word “heres,” meaning “heir.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in everyday language since then.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, hériter is used to express a past possibility or hypothetical situation. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the Imperfect Subjunctive form followed by the past participle of hériter.

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

  1. Il aurait hérité de sa grand-mère s’il n’avait pas été déshérité.
    (He would have inherited from his grandmother if he hadn’t been disinherited.)

  2. Si tu avais travaillé plus dur, tu aurais hérité de l’entreprise familiale.
    (If you had worked harder, you would have inherited the family business.)

  3. Nous aurions hérité d’une fortune si notre ancêtre n’avait pas tout dilapidé.
    (We would have inherited a fortune if our ancestor hadn’t squandered it all.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Hériter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb hériter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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