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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb intensifier

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The English translation of the French verb intensifier is “to intensify.” The infinitive form, intensifier, is pronounced as [ɛ̃.tɑ̃.si.fje].

The word “intensifier” comes from the Latin word “intensificare,” meaning “to make intense.” In French, it is most often used as a transitive verb, meaning that it requires an object to be intensified.

In everyday French, intensifier is commonly used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses an action that would have taken place before another action in the past. It is often used to add emphasis or emotional intensity to the sentence.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu aies intensifié tes efforts. (I wish you had intensified your efforts.)
  2. Il doutait que nous ayons intensifié notre collaboration. (He doubted that we had intensified our collaboration.)
  3. Elle regrettait que je n’aie pas intensifié mon engagement. (She regretted that I had not intensified my commitment.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Intensifier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb intensifier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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