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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb innover

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The English translation of the French verb “innover” is “to innovate.” It is pronounced as “ee-NO-veh.”

The word “innover” comes from the Latin word “innovare,” meaning “to renew or change.” It entered the French language in the 15th century and has been used to describe the act of introducing something new or making improvements.

In everyday French, “innover” is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense when talking about a hypothetical or uncertain action that happened in the past. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the Plus-que-parfait tense followed by the past participle of “innover.”

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

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu aies innové dans ton travail. (I would have liked for you to have innovated in your work.)
  2. Il fallait que nous ayons innové pour rester compétitifs. (We needed to have innovated to stay competitive.)
  3. Il aurait été préférable que vous ayez innové plus tôt. (It would have been preferable for you to have innovated earlier.)

In each of these examples, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that happened in the past, in this case, the act of innovating. The use of this tense adds a sense of doubt or uncertainty to the statement.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Innover.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb innover
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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