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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb mandater

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The English translation of the French verb mandater is “to mandate.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “mahn-dah-tay.”

The word mandater comes from the Latin word “mandatum,” meaning “command” or “instruction.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and has been used in various forms and contexts since then.

In everyday French, mandater is most commonly used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past tense of the subjunctive mood. This tense is used to express a hypothetical action that took place in the past, before another past action.

Here are 3 simple examples of mandater used in this tense:

  1. J’avais mandaté mon avocat avant l’audience du tribunal.
    (Translation: I had instructed my lawyer before the court hearing.)

  2. Il avait mandaté son frère pour gérer ses affaires en son absence.
    (Translation: He had mandated his brother to manage his affairs in his absence.)

  3. Elle m’avait mandaté de faire les courses pour le dîner de ce soir.
    (Translation: She had entrusted me with the task of grocery shopping for tonight’s dinner.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse mandaté Si j’avais eu le temps, je eusse mandaté une équipe. If I had had the time, I would have empowered a team.
tu eusses mandaté Si tu avais eu le temps, tu eusses mandaté une équipe. If you had had the time, you would have empowered a team.
il eût mandaté S’il avait eu le temps, il eût mandaté une équipe. If he had had the time, he would have empowered a team.
elle eût mandaté Si elle avait eu le temps, elle eût mandaté une équipe. If she had had the time, she would have empowered a team.
on eût mandaté Si on avait eu le temps, on eût mandaté une équipe. If one had had the time, one would have empowered a team.
nous eussions mandaté Si nous avions eu le temps, nous eussions mandaté une équipe. If we had had the time, we would have empowered a team.
vous eussiez mandaté Si vous aviez eu le temps, vous eussiez mandaté une équipe. If you had had the time, you would have empowered a team.
ils eussent mandaté S’ils avaient eu le temps, ils eussent mandaté une équipe. If they had had the time, they would have empowered a team.
elles eussent mandaté Si elles avaient eu le temps, elles eussent mandaté une équipe. If they had had the time, they would have empowered a team.

Other Conjugations for Mandater.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb mandater
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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