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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb maîtriser

Get the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) tense conjugation of maîtriser. 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 maîtriser is “to master” or “to control.” It is pronounced “meh-tree-zay” in the infinitive form.

Maîtriser comes from the Old French word “maistrier,” meaning “to have power or authority over.” It is most often used in everyday French to express the idea of having complete control or mastery over something.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, maîtriser is used to express a past event or action that was completed before another past event or action. It is typically used in conjunction with the auxiliary verb “avoir.”

  1. J’avais maîtrisé les règles du jeu avant que vous n’arriviez. (I had mastered the rules of the game before you arrived.)
  2. Elle avait maîtrisé sa peur avant de sauter en parachute. (She had overcome her fear before jumping out of the plane.)
  3. Nous avions maîtrisé la langue française avant de déménager en France. (We had mastered the French language before moving to France.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Maîtriser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb maîtriser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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