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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb lier

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The English translation of the French verb lier is “to bind” or “to tie.” The infinitive form of lier is pronounced “lee-eh.”

Lier comes from the Latin word “ligare,” meaning “to bind” or “to tie.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the subjonctif plus-que-parfait tense to express an action that should have been completed before another action in the past.

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

  1. J’étais en retard parce que j’avais lié mon lacet. (I was late because I had tied my shoelace.)
  2. Elle pouvait enfin parler après qu’elle avait lié sa langue. (She could finally speak after she had tied her tongue.)
  3. Nous n’avions pas pu ouvrir la porte car nous avions lié les clés à l’intérieur. (We couldn’t open the door because we had tied the keys inside.)

In all of these examples, the subjonctif plus-que-parfait tense is used to show that the action of tying or binding was completed before another past action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse lié Je suis content que je eusse lié ma cravate correctement. I’m glad I had tied my tie correctly.
tu eusses lié J’étais sûr que tu eusses lié le nœud. I was sure you had tied the knot.
il eût lié Je ne pensais pas qu’il eût lié les bonnes personnes. I didn’t think he had connected with the right people.
elle eût lié J’étais surpris qu’elle eût lié son sort à celui du méchant. I was surprised that she had tied her fate to that of the villain.
on eût lié J’aurais préféré qu’on eût lié nos destinées. I would have preferred that we had tied our fates together.
nous eussions lié J’ai regretté que nous eussions lié nos vies trop tôt. I regretted that we had tied our lives together too soon.
vous eussiez lié Je craignais que vous eussiez lié notre entreprise à une mauvaise cause. I feared that you had tied our business to a bad cause.
ils eussent lié J’étais content qu’ils eussent lié le nœud. I was glad they had tied the knot.
elles eussent lié J’étais contente qu’elles eussent lié leur amitié depuis si longtemps. I was glad they had tied their friendship for so long.

Other Conjugations for Lier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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