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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb intercéder

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The English translation of the French verb intercéder is “to intercede” or “to intervene”. It is pronounced as “ahn-tair-say-deh” in the infinitive form.

The word intercéder comes from the Latin verb “intercedere”, which means “to intervene” or “to come between”. It was first used in English in the 15th century and has its roots in the Latin word “cedere”, meaning “to go”.

In everyday French, intercéder is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a past action that is hypothetical or uncertain. It is usually used in formal or written language.

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

  1. J’avais intercédé pour lui, mais il n’a pas réussi à obtenir le poste. (I had interceded for him, but he didn’t manage to get the job.)

  2. Elle m’avait dit qu’elle intercéderait en ma faveur auprès de son père. (She had told me she would intercede on my behalf with her father.)

  3. Il était temps que tu intercèdes pour moi auprès du directeur. (It was time for you to intercede for me with the director.)

In these examples, the verb intercéder is used in the past tense to express a past action that is hypothetical or uncertain. The first example shows a failed attempt at interceding, the second shows a promise to intercede, and the third shows a situation where it was necessary for someone to intervene.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Intercéder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb intercéder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Intercéder – 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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