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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb justifier

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The English translation of the French verb justifier is “to justify.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “zhoo-stee-fee-ay.”

The word justifier comes from the Latin word “iustificare,” which means “to make just or right.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a past subjunctive tense used to express a hypothetical or unlikely action that occurred before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu justifies tes propos avant de les publier. (I would have liked for you to justify your statements before publishing them.)

  2. Il était nécessaire que nous ayons justifié notre absence auprès de nos professeurs. (It was necessary for us to have justified our absence to our teachers.)

  3. Mes parents auraient préféré que je leur aie justifié mes dépenses avant de partir en voyage. (My parents would have preferred for me to have justified my expenses to them before going on a trip.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse justifié Je regrette que je eusse justifié mes actions. I regret that I had justified my actions.
tu eusses justifié Je regrette que tu eusses justifié tes actions. I regret that you had justified your actions.
il eût justifié Je regrette qu’il eût justifié ses actions. I regret that he had justified his actions.
elle eût justifié Je regrette qu’elle eût justifié ses actions. I regret that she had justified her actions.
on eût justifié Je regrette qu’on eût justifié ses actions. I regret that one had justified their actions.
nous eussions justifié Je regrette que nous eussions justifié nos actions. I regret that we had justified our actions.
vous eussiez justifié Je regrette que vous eussiez justifié vos actions. I regret that you had justified your actions.
ils eussent justifié Je regrette qu’ils eussent justifié leurs actions. I regret that they had justified their actions.
elles eussent justifié Je regrette qu’elles eussent justifié leurs actions. I regret that they had justified their actions.

Other Conjugations for Justifier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb justifier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Justifier – 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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