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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb longer

Get the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) tense conjugation of longer. 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 longer is “to lengthen” or “to make longer.” It is pronounced “lohN-zhay” in its infinitive form.

The language origin of longer comes from the Latin word “longare,” meaning “to lengthen.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to express an action that was completed in the past before another action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Avant que je n’aie longé la route, il était déjà arrivé. (Before I had gone along the road, he had already arrived.)
  2. Elle était contente que nous ayons longé la plage avant de rentrer chez nous. (She was happy that we had walked along the beach before going home.)
  3. J’avais peur qu’il n’eût longé la rivière en bateau sans moi. (I was afraid that he had sailed down the river without me.)

In each of these examples, the action of “longer” (to walk along, to go along, to sail down) is completed in the past before another action (arriving, going home, sailing without me). The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to convey this sequence of events in the past.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Longer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb longer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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