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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb interner

Get the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) tense conjugation of interner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb interner is “to intern” or “to confine.” It is pronounced as “ahn-tehr-nay” in its infinitive form.

The verb interner comes from the Latin word “internare” which means “to imprison.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense used to express actions that should have been completed before a specific point in the past. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Imparfait tense and the past participle of the verb.

Examples of interner in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. Je doute qu’il ait été interné dans un hôpital psychiatrique. (I doubt he was interned in a psychiatric hospital.)
  2. Il est possible que les prisonniers aient été internés dans des camps de concentration pendant la guerre. (It is possible that the prisoners were interned in concentration camps during the war.)
  3. Nous craignions qu’elle n’eût été internée de force par sa famille. (We were afraid she had been forcibly interned by her family.)

In these examples, the verb interner is used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express actions that should have been completed before a specific point in the past. The English translations reflect this by using the past perfect tense.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse interné J’aurais aimé que je eusse interné cet homme dangereux. I wish I had interned that dangerous man.
tu eusses interné J’aurais aimé que tu eusses interné cet homme dangereux. I wish you had interned that dangerous man.
il eût interné J’aurais aimé qu’il eût interné cet homme dangereux. I wish he had interned that dangerous man.
elle eût interné J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût interné cet homme dangereux. I wish she had interned that dangerous man.
on eût interné J’aurais aimé qu’on eût interné cet homme dangereux. I wish one had interned that dangerous man.
nous eussions interné J’aurais aimé que nous eussions interné cet homme dangereux. I wish we had interned that dangerous man.
vous eussiez interné J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez interné cet homme dangereux. I wish you had interned that dangerous man.
ils eussent interné J’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent interné cet homme dangereux. I wish they had interned that dangerous man.
elles eussent interné J’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent interné cet homme dangereux. I wish they had interned that dangerous man.

Other Conjugations for Interner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb interner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the interner Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts