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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb innocenter

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The English translation of the French verb innocenter is “to exonerate” or “to declare innocent.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “ee-noh-son-tey.”

The word innocenter comes from the Latin word “innocentare,” meaning “to declare innocent.” It entered the French language in the 15th century and has since evolved into its current usage.

In everyday French, the verb innocenter is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a past action that could have or should have been done. This tense is formed by using the past subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of the main verb. It is often used to express regret, doubt, or hypothesis in the past.

Here are three examples of the verb innocenter used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je l’innocente avant qu’il ne soit condamné. (I had to exonerate him before he was convicted.)
  2. Nous aurions dû innocenter le suspect avant de rendre notre verdict. (We should have declared the suspect innocent before giving our verdict.)
  3. Il était possible qu’elle l’innocente si elle avait témoigné en sa faveur. (It was possible that she would have declared him innocent if she had testified in his favor.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Innocenter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb innocenter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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