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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb herser

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The English translation of the French verb herser is “to rake” or “to harrow.” The infinitive form, herser, is pronounced “ehr-seh.”

The word herser comes from the Old French word hercer, which means “to break up with a harrow.” It is derived from the Latin word hirpex, meaning “rake.” In everyday French, herser is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a past action that is hypothetical or uncertain.

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

  1. Il fallait que j’eusse hersé le champ avant de semer les graines. (I had to have raked the field before sowing the seeds.)
  2. Nous aurions aimé que tu eusses hersé le jardin avant que nous arrivions. (We would have liked for you to have raked the garden before we arrived.)
  3. Il est possible que les oiseaux eussent déjà hersé le sol à la recherche de vers. (It is possible that the birds had already raked the ground in search of worms.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Herser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb herser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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