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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb infliger

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The English translation of the French verb infliger is “to inflict.” It is pronounced as “ahn-flee-zhay.”

The word infliger comes from the Latin word “infligere” which means “to strike or wound.” It entered the French language in the 15th century and has been used in its current form since the 16th century.

In everyday French, infliger is most commonly used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a past tense of the subjunctive mood used to express actions that took place before another past action. It is often used to express something that one wishes they had not done or to express regret.

Three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense with their respective English translations are:

1) J’aurais préféré ne pas lui infliger cette peine. (I would have preferred not to inflict this pain on him/her.)
2) Si j’avais su, je n’aurais pas infligé ces souffrances à ma famille. (If I had known, I would not have inflicted these sufferings on my family.)
3) Il regrettait d’avoir infligé cette punition à son enfant. (He regretted having inflicted this punishment on his child.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse infligé Si j’avais su, j’aurais eusse infligé une punition plus sévère. If I had known, I would have inflicted a harsher punishment.
tu eusses infligé Si tu avais été présent, tu eusses infligé une punition plus sévère. If you had been present, you would have inflicted a harsher punishment.
il eût infligé Si il avait été présent, il eût infligé une punition plus sévère. If he had been present, he would have inflicted a harsher punishment.
elle eût infligé Si elle avait été présente, elle eût infligé une punition plus sévère. If she had been present, she would have inflicted a harsher punishment.
on eût infligé Si on avait été présent, on eût infligé une punition plus sévère. If one had been present, they would have inflicted a harsher punishment.
nous eussions infligé Si nous avions été présents, nous eussions infligé une punition plus sévère. If we had been present, we would have inflicted a harsher punishment.
vous eussiez infligé Si vous aviez été présents, vous eussiez infligé une punition plus sévère. If you had been present, you would have inflicted a harsher punishment.
ils eussent infligé Si ils avaient été présents, ils eussent infligé une punition plus sévère. If they had been present, they would have inflicted a harsher punishment.
elles eussent infligé Si elles avaient été présentes, elles eussent infligé une punition plus sévère. If they had been present, they would have inflicted a harsher punishment.

Other Conjugations for Infliger.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb infliger
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Infliger – 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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