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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb houssiner

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The English translation of the French verb houssiner is “to cover with a houssine” or “to groom with a houssine.”

The infinitive form of houssiner is pronounced “oo-see-neh.”

The language origin of houssiner can be traced back to the Old French word “houssine,” which referred to a type of tool used for cleaning and grooming horses. In modern French, the verb houssiner is most commonly used in the context of horse care, specifically grooming and cleaning their coat and hooves.

In everyday French, houssiner is also used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place before another past action. This tense is formed by using the imperfect subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être,” followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Example 1:
Il fallait que j’eusse houssiné le cheval avant de partir en randonnée.
Translation: I had to have groomed the horse before going on the hike.

Example 2:
Il aurait fallu qu’elle eût houssiné les chevaux avant qu’il ne pleuve.
Translation: She should have groomed the horses before it started raining.

Example 3:
Il était nécessaire qu’ils eussent houssiné leurs chevaux avant la compétition.
Translation: It was necessary for them to have groomed their horses before the competition.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Houssiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb houssiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Houssiner – 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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