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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb jeûner

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The English translation of the French verb jeûner is “to fast.” The infinitive form of jeûner is pronounced “zheh-oo-nay.”

Jeûner comes from the Latin word “jejunare,” meaning “to fast.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the act of abstaining from food and drink for a period of time, usually for religious or health reasons.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, jeûner is used to express a past hypothetical action or situation. It is often used in conjunction with other verbs to express a desired outcome or a condition that needs to be met.

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

  1. J’avais attendu un mois avant que je ne jeûnasse pendant une semaine. (I had waited a month before I fasted for a week.)

  2. Ils avaient promis de me rejoindre après qu’ils eussent jeûné pour trois jours. (They had promised to join me after they had fasted for three days.)

  3. Elle aurait été plus satisfaite si elle eût jeûné avant de prendre sa décision. (She would have been more satisfied if she had fasted before making her decision.)

  4. I had waited a month before I fasted for a week.

  5. They had promised to join me after they had fasted for three days.

  6. She would have been more satisfied if she had fasted before making her decision.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Jeûner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb jeûner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Jeûner – 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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